Fine (Whitney Houston song)

"Fine"
Single by Whitney Houston
from the album Whitney: The Greatest Hits
B-side"Love to Infinity Megamix"
ReleasedSeptember 19, 2000 (2000-09-19)
StudioThe Record Plant (Los Angeles)
Length3:34
LabelArista
Songwriters
Producers
Whitney Houston singles chronology
"If I Told You That"
(2000)		 "Fine"
(2000)		 "The Star Spangled Banner"
(2001)
Music video
"Fine" on YouTube

"Fine" is a song by American singer Whitney Houston. It was written and produced by Raphael Saadiq and Q-Tip for her 2000 compilation album, Whitney: The Greatest Hits. Released as the album's fourth and final single in September 2000, "Fine" was generally praised by critics for its sultry, soulful sound and Houston's restrained lower-register vocals, though some found the song repetitive or underwhelming. The song reached number 51 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, number 17 on the Adult R&B Songs chart, number 50 in Sweden, and number 39 in Canada.

Background

"Fine" was written and produced by Raphael Saadiq and Q-Tip for Houston's 2000 compilation album, Whitney: The Greatest Hits.[1] A mid-tempo R&B tune that features "languid retro-funk guitars" and a " sleek lite-funk sound,"[2] Saadiq wrote the song with Q-Tip during Houston's recording session at The Record Plant in Los Angeles, with Q-Tip developing the beat while Saadiq worked out the chords and bassline.[3] Drawing inspiration from Houston herself, Saadiq had her signature style in mind while developing the track.[3] Saadiq later recalled feeling nervous about asking Houston to redo a vocal take because she was rushing the lyrics.[3] After seeking advice from her friend Robyn Crawford, Saadiq asked Houston to try the passage again, following advice he had previously received from Barry Gibb to frame a retake as an opportunity to "get a better one."[3] According to Saadiq, Houston responded graciously and was "as sweet as she could be" during the session.[3]

Critical reception

Billboard wrote that "Fine" is "perhaps her most convincing crack at urbanized pop music to date. [Houston] seems to have eased into the chilled soul that propels a street-wise track. She wisely does not give into the temptation to belt and wail her way through the song [...]. Instead, Houston works the more sultry lower register of her voice, saving the big, beautiful notes as a dramatic accent toward the end of the cut."[4] LA Weekly in its review for Whitney: The Greatest Hits wrote that "Only on the stellar R&B track 'Fine' does Whitney stand out. [...] 'Fine' is soulful, funky and tight as hell. And the vocal performance ranks among Whitney's best."[5] The Baltimore Sun wrote that of the new tracks on Whitney: The Greatest Hits, "only the sultry, soulful 'Fine' manages to convey any of the strengths that made Houston a star", and that, "hearing [Houston] work the tune's insistent, retro-funk groove, there's no doubting that she still has what it takes to make hits".[6] CANOE reviewer Jane Stevenson felt that the song "falls flat".[7] The Star-Ledger wrote that the song "grows tiresomely repetitious".[2] According to New Nation the song takes Houston "to even greater heights, changing [her] vocals to a much lower tone, with an added hip-hop bassline".[8] The St. Louis Post-Dispatch called it "a wonderful composition".[9]

Chart performance

"Fine" appeared on the singles charts only in the United States, Sweden, and Canada.[10][11][12] The song peaked at number 51 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.[10] On the magazine's component Adult R&B Songs chart, it reached number 17.[13] In Sweden, it debuted and peaked at number 50, but spent only one week on the chart.[11] In Canada, it peaked at number 39 the week after it debuted and spent a total of four weeks on Nielsen SoundScan's Canadian Singles Chart.[14]

Music video

The music video, directed by Kevin Bray, features Houston at a rooftop cocktail party. In the US, a DVD single was released. It includes the videos for "Fine" and the Houston-George Michael duet "If I Told You That", plus behind-the-scenes footage from the "Fine" video shoot. Houston's then-husband Bobby Brown also appears in the video.

Formats and track listings

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2001) Peak
position
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[20] 39
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[11]50
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[10]51

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States September 19, 2000 Arista [21]
September 26, 2000 Rhythmic contemporary radio [22][23]
Sweden December 11, 2000 CD
[24]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Whitney: The Greatest Hits (Album). Whitney Houston. Europe: Arista, BMG. 2000. 74321 75895 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. 1 2 Lustig, Jay (May 16, 2000). "The greatest hits of all, but the remix is just so-so". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 18 April 2014. (Full review available at Classic-Whitney.com)
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Davidson, Denton (December 4, 2025). "Raphael Saadiq breaks down 'I Lied to You' from 'Sinners' — plus unforgettable stories about Whitney, Prince, and D'Angelo". Goldderby. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Billboard magazine – Reviews & Previews – p.24". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. September 2, 2000. Retrieved August 13, 2012. (Transcription of original at Classic-Whitney.com)
  5. ↑ Hardy, Ernest (Jun 28, 2000). "Saving It". LA Weekly. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  6. ↑ J. D. Considine (May 25, 2000). "Whitney Houston The Greatest Hits". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on 2013-12-11. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  7. ↑ Stevenson, Jane. "Album Review: Whitney's greatest hits and misses". CANOE - JAM!. Archived from the original on December 26, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  8. ↑ "allwhitney.com - Whitney Houston album reviews". Whfan.free.fr. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  9. ↑ Johnson, Kevin C. (June 25, 2000). "Whitney Houston "The Greatest Hits," Arista Records". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 19 April 2014. (Full review available at Classic-Whitney.com)
  10. 1 2 3 "Whitney Houston Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  11. 1 2 3 "Whitney Houston – Fine". Singles Top 100. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Top 50 Singles". Jam!. Archived from the original on March 21, 2001. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Whitney Houston Chart History (Adult R&B Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Top 50 Singles". Jam!. Archived from the original on March 21, 2001. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  15. ↑ Fine (CD Single). Whitney Houston. US: Arista. 2000. ARPCD-3845.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ↑ Fine (Maxi-Single). Whitney Houston. EU: Arista. 2000. 74321 82188 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ↑ Fine (Card Sleeve Single). Whitney Houston. EU: Arista. 2000. 74321 82189 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. ↑ Fine (CD-Single). Whitney Houston. EU: Arista. 2001. 74321-84665-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. ↑ Fine (DVD). Whitney Houston. US: Arista. 2000. 13920-9.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ↑ "Top 50 Singles". Jam!. Archived from the original on March 21, 2001. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Going for Adds / Advance Notice". Radio & Records. No. 1368. September 15, 2000. pp. 152, 162.
  22. ↑ "Gavin Top 40/Rhythm Crossover: Impact Dates". Gavin Report. No. 2322. September 15, 2000. p. 10.
  23. ↑ "CHR/Rhythmic: Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1369. September 15, 2000. p. 109.
  24. ↑ "Whitney Houston: Fine". click2music.se (in Swedish). Archived from the original on January 13, 2003. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
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