So Emotional

For other uses, see So Emotional (disambiguation).

"So Emotional"
File:Whitney Houston- So Emotional.jpg
Single by Whitney Houston
from the album Whitney
B-side	"For the Love of You"
Released	October 1987
Format	CD single cassette single 7" single
Recorded	1987
Genre	Dance-rock
Length	4:36
Label	Arista
Writer(s)	Billy Steinberg Tom Kelly
Producer(s)	Narada Michael Walden
Whitney Houston singles chronology
"Didn't We Almost Have It All" (1987) "So Emotional" (1987) "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" (1988)
Whitney track listing "Didn't We Almost Have It All" (4) "So Emotional" (5) "Where You Are" (6) Music video "So Emotional" on YouTube

"So Emotional" is a song written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, and recorded by American singer Whitney Houston. The song was the third single from her second album Whitney, and was released in October 1987.

Commercially, it peaked at number five in the UK and number one in the Billboard Hot 100, where it became her sixth consecutive number one, and a dance chart hit. It would go and finish as the sixth best selling song of the year and the fourth most played in clubs; it is her sixth biggest hit on the Hot 100 chart.

Composition

"So Emotional" was written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, who also penned Madonna's "Like a Virgin," Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors," Heart's "Alone," and The Bangles "Eternal Flame," all of which reached #1 on the charts. The song centers on Houston loving being in love, singing, "I get so emotional baby / Every time I think of you / I get so emotional baby / Ain't it shocking what love can do."

Critical reception

Allmusic editor Ron Wynn highlighted this track. Vince Aletti of Rolling Stone wrote: "Walden covers all these bases, out-hopping Kashif (but not Jellybean) with "So Emotional." St. Petersburg Times Eric Snider and Annelise Wamsley wrote: "`So Emotional,`` the record's token rock offering, is hollow and contrived, as if the trumped-up power guitars are supposed to give the song some guts."

Chart performance

At this time Houston already had a string of five consecutive number-one hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. "So Emotional" went to the #1 position as well, giving her six consecutive number-one singles; putting her in a three-way tie with The Beatles and The Bee Gees. It made its debut at number forty four on November 28, 1987 and after seven weeks became the first number-one of 1988, eventually receiving gold certification. The single remained in the Top 40 for 14 weeks, and also reached number one on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart. "So Emotional" was ranked sixth on the Billboard Hot 100 year-end charts (1988). It debuted at number forty four on the Hot 100 and seven weeks later reached number one for one week. The song has sold over 1.7 million copies worldwide.

In the United Kingdom and France the song was remixed by Shep Pettibone when released as a single and peaked at #5 in the UK Singles Chart in November 1987, remaining in the chart for 11 weeks. Elsewhere the single performed moderately well reaching 21 in France, 26 in Australia and 30 in Switzerland.

Music video

The music video for "So Emotional", directed by Wayne Isham, features Houston on tour and preparing for the night's concert. It was filmed at Lehigh University's Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania between dates of her 1987-1988 Moment of Truth Tour.

Track listings and formats

• US 7" single

1. "So Emotional" – 3:46
2. "For the Love of You" – 4:29

• UK 7" single

1. "So Emotional" (Edited remix) – 4:20
2. "For the Love of You" – 4:32

• UK CD single

1. "So Emotional" (Extended remix) – 7:51
2. "Didn't We Almost Have It All" (live) – 6:28
3. "For the Love of You" – 4:32

Track 2: "Didn't We Almost Have It All" (live) is from her September 2, 1987 concert in Saratoga Springs, New York during the Moment of Truth World Tour.

Personnel

• Narada Michael Walden – drums, drum machine
• Walter "Baby Love" Afanasieff – keyboards, Synthesizer
• Corrado Rustici – guitar synth, electric guitar
• Bongo Bob – percussion programming, drum sampling
• Background vocals – Whitney Houston
• Produced and arranged by Narada Michael Walden
• Recorded and mixed by David Frazer
• Assistant engineer – Dana Jon Chappelle
• Additional engineers – Lincoln Clapp, Gordon Lyon, Jay Rifkin, Ken Kessie, Maureen Droney
• Additional assistant engineers – Gordon Lyon, Stuart Hirotsu, Paul "Goatee" Hamingson, Noah Baron, Bill "Sweet William" Miranda, Ross Williams, Rob Beaton

Charts and certifications

Chart positions

Chart (1987–1989)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)	26
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)	18
Canada (RPM 100 Singles)	9
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)	9
France (SNEP)	21
Ireland (IRMA)	3
Netherlands (Single Top 100)	18
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)	47
Spain (AFYVE)	15
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)	30
UK (UK Singles Chart)	5
US Billboard Hot 100	1
US Black Singles	5
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)	8
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)	1

Year-end charts

Chart (1988)	Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	6
U.S. Black Singles	46
U.S. Dance/Club Play Singles	4

Certifications

Country	Provider	Certification	Date	Shipments/sales
United States (RIAA)	RIAA	Gold	1988	500,000
United Kingdom	BPI	Silver	1988	250,000

Chart procession and succession

Preceded by "Faith" by George Michael	US Billboard Hot 100 number one single January 9, 1988	Succeeded by "Got My Mind Set on You" by George Harrison
Preceded by "Pump Up the Volume" by M|A|R|R|S	US Hot Dance/Club-Play Songs number-one single December 26, 1987 – January 2, 1988	Succeeded by "I'm Beggin' You" by Supertramp

See also

• List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1988 (U.S.)
• List of number-one dance singles of 1987 (U.S.)
• Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1988

External links

• So Emotional at Discogs