This just works.
I never knew I needed a country-fied take on the late, great Whitney Houston’s mega hit “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me),” but I love everything about this.
Jon Pardi recently put his own spin on her hit single for a feature on CMT Campfire Sessions, which he appeared on in promotion of his fantastic new album, Mr. Saturday Night.
Written by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” was released as the lead single from Whitney’s 1987 self-titled album, and shot to #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart (along with plenty of other charts all over the world).
It’s arguably her most recognizable tune, along with the Dolly Parton-penned “I Will Always Love You,” and is always a crowd pleaser when you want to get everybody up and dancing… I mean seriously, how can you not wanna jam out when this one comes on?
Jon gives his cover a similar feel to his hit “Heartache on the Dance Floor” in terms of the production, and I’m so here for it.
While this is quite a far cry from the original, and I don’t think I would’ve ever imagined Jon singing this particular tune, Mr. Pardi really pulls it off:
The classic Whitney Houston original: