"I'm Every Woman" is a song by American singer
Chaka Khan
Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan ( ), is an American singer. Known as the " Queen of Funk", her career has spanned more than five decades beginning in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of ...
, released in September 1978 by
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
as her debut solo single from her first album, ''
Chaka'' (1978). It was Khan's first hit outside her recordings with the
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
band
Rufus
Rufus is a masculine given name, a surname, an Ancient Roman cognomen and a nickname (from Latin ''wikt:rufus, rufus'', "red"). Notable people with the name include:
Given name
Politicians
* Marcus Caelius Rufus, (28 May 82 BC – after 48 ...
. "I'm Every Woman" was produced by
Arif Mardin and written by the successful songwriting team
Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson. The single established Chaka's career outside the group Rufus, whom she would leave after their eighth studio album, ''
Masterjam'', was released in late 1979.
The track was remixed and re-released in 1989 for Khan's remix album ''
Life Is a Dance: The Remix Project''; this mix reached number eight in the United Kingdom. American singer
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...
covered the song in 1992 with production by
David Cole and
Robert Clivillés and vocals produced by
Narada Michael Walden
Narada Michael Walden ( ; Michael Walden; born April 23, 1952) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He acquired the nickname Narada from Sri Chinmoy.
He began his career as a drummer, working primarily in the jazz ...
. It was a major hit, peaking at number four on both the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 and the
UK Singles Chart.
Chart performance
In the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, "I'm Every Woman" reached number twenty-one on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, number one on the
Hot Soul Singles, and number thirty on the disco chart.
In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number eleven.
Music video
A music video was produced for Khan's version of "I'm Every Woman" at a time when the value of promotional films was increasing. The video, which features five dancing Chakas dressed in various outfits to represent "every woman", was made a few years before the onset of mainstream coverage of "
music promos" through such outlets as
MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
,
VH1, and
BET.
Impact and legacy
In 2020, ''
Slant Magazine
''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'' ranked "I'm Every Woman" number 11 in their list of "The 100 Best Dance Songs of All Time". In 2022, ''
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.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' ranked it number 27 in their list of "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time".
Credits and personnel
* Lead and background vocals by
Chaka Khan
Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan ( ), is an American singer. Known as the " Queen of Funk", her career has spanned more than five decades beginning in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of ...
* Background vocals by
Will Lee and
Hamish Stuart
* Produced by
Arif Mardin
* Drums by Steve Ferrone
* Bass by Will Lee
* Guitars by Hamish Stuart and Phil Upchurch
* Piano by Richard Tee
* Engineer by James Douglass
Charts
Certifications
Whitney Houston version
American singer and actress
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...
recorded "I'm Every Woman" for ''
The Bodyguard'' soundtrack. Houston's version was produced by
Narada Michael Walden
Narada Michael Walden ( ; Michael Walden; born April 23, 1952) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He acquired the nickname Narada from Sri Chinmoy.
He began his career as a drummer, working primarily in the jazz ...
, with additional production by
David Cole and
Robert Clivillés from
C+C Music Factory
C+C Music Factory was an American musical group formed in 1989 by David Cole and Robert Clivillés. The group is best known for their five hit singles: " Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)", " Here We Go (Let's Rock & Roll)", " Things ...
. Recorded during Houston's pregnancy with
Bobbi Kristina Brown, it was released as Houston's second single from the soundtrack on January 2, 1993, by
Arista Records
Arista Records ( ) is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously a division of Bertelsmann Music G ...
. Her version adds the introduction "''Whatever you want, whatever you need...''" where Houston contributed to the song. Randee St. Nicholas directed the music video for the song, featuring a pregnant Houston. A live performance of "I'm Every Woman" was included in the 1999 release ''
Divas Live '99'' as a duet with Chaka Khan. A 1994 performance was included on the 2014 CD and DVD release, ''
Whitney Houston Live: Her Greatest Performances''.
Release
When "I'm Every Woman" was released, Houston's preceding single, "
I Will Always Love You," was still at number one on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 (it remained there for eight more weeks). Houston's version of "I'm Every Woman" peaked at number four on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in just its seventh and eighth week of release; remaining in the top 40 for nineteen weeks. In doing so, Houston became only the first female artist since
Donna Summer
Donna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Queen of Disco", while her music ...
in 1979 to have multiple songs inside the top ten of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and the fifth overall artist to do so joining
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
,
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
and
The Bee Gees
''The'' is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the ...
. The song became number one on the
''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Play
The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set lists to determine the mos ...
chart, reached number five on the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart, and cracked the top 40 on the
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to ''Billboard'' by stat ...
chart. Houston's cover was also a bigger international hit than the original version as it peaked within the top 5 in the UK and several other countries, and the top 20 in France, Australia, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. Contrary to popular belief, Houston did not perform backing vocals on Khan's original 1978 version. Chaka Khan confirmed this in an interview with Lester Holt in 2012. As a tribute to her, however, Houston proclaims Khan's name towards the end of the song.
Critical reception
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
editor
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...
praised Houston's cover version of "I'm Every Woman", stating that it's a "first-rate"
urban pop song "that skillfully capture
Houston at her best." Upon the release,
Larry Flick from ''
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 advertis ...
'' magazine wrote, "Utilizing the original version's instantly recognizable vocal arrangement, Houston belts with unbridled confidence and power." Randy Clark from ''
Cash Box
''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' named it a "dance-inspired tune", noting its "discotheque feel and obvious dance floor appeal. Although Whitney is the strongest aspect of this song, the combination of her voice and the
house
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
jam should launch this track high onto various charts and playlists alike."
''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
''s Amy Linden praised the cover as "triumphant". She explained, "To take on another diva's material requires the female equivalent of cojones, and Houston (wisely) doesn't muck around with the original's overall tone or arrangement. But she sure does it justice, even adding a sly ''Chaka'' shout-out as the cut fades."
Alan Jones 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 We ...
'' felt the singer "does her best to xerox the performance of Chaka Khan." Nancy Culp from ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' said her "Whitney-ed version" is "well over the top and she carries it decently, but lacks the real soul to give it punch."
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 ...
of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' wrote, "Though not as exuberantly sexy as the original, her version
..is a respectable imitation." A writer 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.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' called it an overwrought remake and added that Whitney undermined her
soul
The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
roots. ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'' complimented the song, "She adds surprises: Chaka Khan's 'I'm Every Woman' becomes sweaty house music."
Music video
The accompanying music video for "I'm Every Woman" was directed by Randee St. Nicholas, and features a very pregnant Houston performing the song, while scenes from ''
The Bodyguard'' are intercut into the clip. The video also features cameo appearances by Houston's mother
Cissy Houston as well as by
Chaka Khan
Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan ( ), is an American singer. Known as the " Queen of Funk", her career has spanned more than five decades beginning in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of ...
,
Valerie Simpson
Ashford & Simpson were an American husband-and-wife songwriting, production and recording duo composed of Nickolas Ashford (May 4, 1941 – August 22, 2011) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946).
Ashford was born in Fairfield, South Carol ...
,
Martha Wash and labelmate
TLC
TLC may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Television
* ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2
* TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network
** TLC (Asia), an A ...
. The song won Houston an
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Music Video, and received a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
nomination in 1994 for
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. The video was later made available on Houston's official
YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
channel in 2009 and had generated more than 100 million views as of June 2025.
Track listings and formats
* CD single
#"I'm Every Woman" – 4:45
#"Who Do You Love" – 3:55
* European CD maxi-single
#"I'm Every Woman" (7" single) – 4:44
#"I'm Every Woman" (
Clivillés & Cole House Mix I) – 10:37
#"I'm Every Woman" (
a cappella
Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...
) – 4:27
* UK CD maxi-single
#"I'm Every Woman" (7" single) – 4:44
#"I'm Every Woman" (Every Woman's House/Club Mix Radio Edit) – 4:40
#"I'm Every Woman" (Clivillés & Cole House Mix I) – 10:37
#"I'm Every Woman" (Every Woman's House/Club Mix) – 10:14
#"I'm Every Woman" (Every Woman's Beat) – 4:11
#"I'm Every Woman" (a cappella) – 4:27
* US CD maxi-single
#"I'm Every Woman" (Every Woman's House/Club Mix Radio Edit) – 4:40
#"I'm Every Woman" (album version) – 4:45
#"I'm Every Woman" (Every Woman's House/Club Mix) – 10:14
#"I'm Every Woman" (Clivillés & Cole House Mix I) – 10:37
#"I'm Every Woman" (Clivillés & Cole House Mix II) – 10:54
#"Who Do You Love" – 3:55
* US 12" maxi-single
#"I'm Every Woman" (Every Woman's House/Club Mix) – 10:14
#"I'm Every Woman" (Every Woman's Beat) – 4:11
#"I'm Every Woman" (Clivillés & Cole House Mix I) – 10:37
#"I'm Every Woman" (Clivillés & Cole House Mix II) – 10:54
#"I'm Every Woman" (The C & C Dub) – 10:03
#"I'm Every Woman" (a cappella) – 4:27
Credits and personnel
* Performed by Whitney Houston
* Produced by
Narada Michael Walden
Narada Michael Walden ( ; Michael Walden; born April 23, 1952) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He acquired the nickname Narada from Sri Chinmoy.
He began his career as a drummer, working primarily in the jazz ...
* Additional production and remix by
Robert Clivilles and
David Cole
* Vocal arrangement inspired by
Chaka Khan
Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan ( ), is an American singer. Known as the " Queen of Funk", her career has spanned more than five decades beginning in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of ...
* Additional vocal arrangement and production by Robert Clivilles and David Cole
* Percussion by Bashiri Johnson
*
Roland TR-909 Programming by
Louis Biancaniello, James Alfano and Chauncey Mahan
* Recording engineers – Matt Rohr, Marc Reyburn
* Additional production recording engineers – Acar S. Key, Richard Joseph
* Mixing engineer –
Bob Rosa
* Executive producers -
Clive Davis
Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a non-performer, in 2000.
From 1967 to 1 ...
, Whitney Houston
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
France + 50.000
Release history
Other versions
After the popularity of the Whitney Houston version, ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show
''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Oprah Winfrey. The show ran for twenty-five seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in which it broadcast 4,561 episodes. The show was taped i ...
'' unveiled its "I'm Every Woman" campaign in the 1993–94 season, using a cover version with remade lyrics in promos and an instrumental rendition used as the theme song.
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British-Irish pop music, pop girl group that was created through the ITV (TV network), ITV talent show ''Popstars: The Rivals'' in 2002. The line up consisted of members Cheryl (singer), Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, N ...
covered "I'm Every Woman" on the UK Discomania album released in 2004. In 2006, it was recorded in the
fifth season of ''
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
'' by
Mandisa
Mandisa Lynn Hundley () (October 2, 1976 – April 18, 2024), known mononymously as Mandisa, was an American gospel and contemporary Christian recording artist. She began her solo career as a contestant in the fifth season of ''American Ido ...
, and put on the album ''
American Idol Season 5: Encores''.
Country pop
Country pop (also known as urban cowboy or even urban country) is a fusion genre of country music and pop music that was developed by members of the country genre out of a desire to reach a larger, mainstream audience. Country pop music blends g ...
singer and songwriter
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...
also recorded the song when she was trying to get a record label.
See also
*
List of number-one R&B singles of 1978 (U.S.)
*
List of UK top 10 singles in 1989
*
List of number-one dance singles of 1993 (U.S.)
*
Top 50 Singles of 1993 (UK)
*
List of RPM number-one dance singles of 1993
*
''Billboard'' Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1993
*
List of Cash Box Top 100 number-one singles of 1993
References
External links
I'm Every Woman (Chaka Khan)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. Database contents are user-generated, and described in ''T ...
I'm Every Woman (Remix, Chaka Khan)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. Database contents are user-generated, and described in ''T ...
I'm Every Woman (Whitney Houston)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. Database contents are user-generated, and described in ''T ...
{{Authority control
1978 songs
1978 debut singles
1993 singles
Cashbox number-one singles
Chaka Khan songs
Whitney Houston songs
Songs written by Nickolas Ashford
Songs written by Valerie Simpson
American dance-pop songs
American house music songs
Songs with feminist themes
Music videos directed by Bruce Gowers
Music videos directed by Randee St. Nicholas
Song recordings produced by Arif Mardin
Song recordings produced by Narada Michael Walden
Song recordings produced by Robert Clivillés
Warner Records singles
Arista Records singles
Music Week number-one dance singles