"Queen of the Night" is a song co-written and performed by American singer and actress

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Voice", she is Whitney Houston albums discography, one of the bestselling music artists ...

. It was the fifth and final single released from the soundtrack album '' The Bodyguard'', and is played during the closing credits of the film of the same name. The song was released on October 13, 1993 by

Arista Records Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertain ...

. It was also written by L.A. Reid,

Babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...

and Daryl Simmons, and produced by Reid and Babyface. "Queen of the Night" is an uptempo

hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest ha ...

number, with Houston expressing how she "rules the club scene", proclaiming herself "queen of the night". It was released to US radio in November 1993 and peaked at number 17 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

Pop Airplay Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...

chart, number 36 on the ''Billboard''

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chart, and number one on the ''Billboard''

Hot Dance Club Play Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as th ...

chart, becoming Houston's fifth number one dance single. Due to ''Billboard''s charting requirements at that time, singles without a commercial release were ineligible to chart on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The single was released in several other countries. In the UK, it peaked at number 14 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

and number nine on the

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Critical reception

A reviewer from

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complimented "Queen of the Night" as "a first-rate urban pop song that skillfully captures Houston at her best."

Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...

from ''

'' commented, "If anyone can successfully bring

house music House is a music genre characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute. It was created by Disc jockey, DJs and music producers from Chicago metropolitan area, Chicago' ...

back to pop radio, it's Houston", describing it as "a wickedly catchy ditty, armed with a

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...

that will stick in your mind like sinfully sweet brain candy." Troy J. Augusto from '' Cashbox'' named it Pick of the Week, writing that "it's actually one of Houston's least impressive single releases—but its aggressive vocal delivery and

En Vogue En Vogue is an American vocal girl group whose original lineup consisted of singers Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones. Formed in Oakland, California, in 1989, En Vogue reached No. 2 on the US Hot 100 with the single ...

-like flow will probably make for another chart-topper." A reviewer from

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felt that Houston "continues to mine her rich vein of ornate

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or '' ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

ry and pop-flavored

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...

workouts,

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on her own 'Queen Of The Night,' with its percolating upbeat production a la L.A. Reid &

." Chris Willman of the '' L.A. Times'' assessed the song negatively, "The only obvious dud (on the album) is 'Queen of the Night,' a silly stab at

hard-rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest h ...

that's almost a dead ringer for En Vogue's " Free Your Mind", particularly where her vocals are multi tracked." Howard Cohen from ''

The Miami Herald The ''Miami Herald'' is an American daily newspaper owned by the McClatchy Company and headquartered in Doral, Florida, a city in western Miami-Dade County and the Miami metropolitan area, several miles west of Downtown Miami.R&B workout". Dave Piccioni from ''

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...

s ''RM'' Dance Update stated that Houston "returns to the pure house sound with this wonderful

CJ Mackintosh Christopher John Mackintosh (born 29 December 1965, Paris) is a British electronic music DJ and producer. Mackintosh was a member of M/A/R/R/S and a DJ at Ministry of Sound in the 1990s, in addition to doing production and remix work from the 1980 ...

collaboration", remarking that she "is in as full vocal form as ever and the gospelled vocal harmonies are sweet and strong." Another editor, James Hamilton, called it a "CJ Mackintosh remixed pleasant but bland jiggly

garage A garage is a covered structure built for the purpose of parking, storing, protecting, maintaining, and/or repairing vehicles. Specific applications include: *Garage (residential), a building or part of a building for storing one or more vehicle ...

-style loper".

Stephen Holden Stephen Holden (born July 18, 1941) is an American writer, poet, and music and film critic. Biography Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963. He worked as a photo editor, staff writer, and eventually be ...

from ''

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'' deemed it a "run-of-the-mill dance tune". Popdose compared its production to

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

's "

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." Arion Berger from ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' said that "on "Queen of the Night", L.A. and Babyface start out stomping and never stop, letting Houston belt riotously along until she drops or they do. (They do.)" ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

'' writer

James T. Jones IV James T. Jones IV (died March 13, 1996) was an American music journalist and critic who covered R&B, jazz, and hip hop music for ''USA Today''. Biography The nephew of Betty Carter, Jones was born in Detroit, Michigan. He received his master's d ...

. described it as a surprise, "rocking" tune. James Hunter from ''

Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...

'' noted that it lets the remixer replace the producer's "guitar slams with snare-happy waves of glowing rhythm that add up to

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric p ...

for a generation that's unsure whether disco is nostalgic or eternal."

Music video

The accompanying

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...

for "Queen of the Night" is the full performance Houston gives in the motion picture '' The Bodyguard''. In the film, the performance is interrupted by violence. The video features footage from the 1927 film ''

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'' and was later published on Houston's official

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channel in November 2009. It had generated more than 17 million views as of January 2023.

Live performances

In live performances by Houston, the song's arrangement was faithful to the 1993 CJ Mackintosh remix, which was used during Houston's The Bodyguard World Tour (1993–1994) and also for her performance at the 1994 Soul Train Music Awards.

Track listings and formats

* Japan CD single #"Queen of the Night" (CJ's Single Edit) – 3:21 #"Queen of the Night" (Album Version) – 3:06 * UK CD maxi-single #"Queen of the Night" (CJ's Single Edit) – 3:21 #"Queen of the Night" (CJ's Master Mix) – 6:35 #"Queen of the Night" (CJ's Instrumental Mix) – 9:35 #"Queen of the Night" (Mackapella Mix) – 5:21 #"Queen of the Night" (Dub of the Night) – 5:21 * UK Cassette single #"Queen of the Night" (CJ's Single Edit) – 3:13 #"Queen of the Night" (Album Version) – 3:06 * 12" vinyl promo #"Queen of the Night" (Album Version) – 3:08 #"Queen of the Night" (CJ's Single Mix) – 4:04 #"Queen of the Night" (CJ Mackintosh Mix) – 3:46

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Popular culture

This song was covered by ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to ...

'' contestant Haley Scarnato in 2006. This song was covered during Australian singer

Delta Goodrem Delta Lea Goodrem AM (born November 9, 1984) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Goodrem signed to Sony Music at the age of 15. Her debut album, '' Innocent Eyes'' (2003), topped the ARIA Albums Chart for 29 non-consecutive wee ...

's Believe Again Tour at various locations throughout Australia in 2009. The

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; Protests ...

X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003) ...

'' contestants also performed this song on Sunday, October 18, 2009 as a group performance. Contestant Stacey Solomon, who came third, performed this song on ''The X Factor'' Live Tour 2010. The

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...

, web-based,

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

dubstep Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken be ...

artist known as Futret released a remix/crossover-cover of the song in early February 2012. The song is also mentioned in the show ''

Bob's Burgers ''Bob's Burgers'' is an American adult animated sitcom created by Loren Bouchard that premiered on Fox on January 9, 2011. The show centers on the Belcher family—parents Bob and Linda and their three children, Tina, Gene, and Louise—wh ...

'', the episode " O.T.: The Outside Toilet" in which the character Gene talks to an expensive talking toilet, who can answer any of your questions. Gene asks "Who is the queen of the night?" and the toilet responds saying "

." The song was covered by Monika Linkytė in week two of ''"Eurovizijos" dainų konkurso nacionalinė atranka''.

Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...

performed this song and "

How Will I Know "How Will I Know" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for her self-titled debut studio album. The song was released on November 22, 1985, by Arista Records as the album's third single. Originally written and composed by Geo ...

" as a tribute to Whitney Houston in the ABC series finale of ''

Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...

''. Madame Tussauds Hollywood's wax figure of Houston depicts her performance of the song in ''The Bodyguard''.

Kelly Clarkson covers

Singer Kelly Clarkson recorded covers of Queen of the Night on two occasions. First was on Clarkson's original demo tape recorded in 2001. The second was for the album, '' Kellyoke''

References

External links

Queen of the Night
at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the ...

{{Authority control Whitney Houston songs Songs about nights 1993 singles Song recordings produced by Babyface (musician) Songs written by Babyface (musician) Songs written by Daryl Simmons Songs written by L.A. Reid Songs written for films 1992 songs 1991 songs American hard rock songs Arista Records singles Songs written by Whitney Houston