About The Song
“How Will I Know” is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for her self-titled debut studio album. It was released on November 22, 1985 by Arista Records as the album’s third single. Originally written and composed by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam, it was originally intended for pop singer Janet Jackson, who passed on it. Houston then recorded the song with altered lyrics and production from Narada Michael Walden.
“How Will I Know” received mostly positive reviews from music critics. It became Houston’s second number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 in February 1986, spending two weeks atop the chart, and also became her first chart-topper on the Canadian RPM Top 100 Singles chart. It also reached top-10 positions in Australia, Sweden, Ireland, Norway, and the United Kingdom, and top-20 positions in the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Switzerland.
The accompanying music video for “How Will I Know” features scenes of Houston dancing in a setting of video screens and colored partitions. The music video gave Houston exposure to teenagers via MTV and other video outlets. It received two nominations at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards; Best Female Video and Best New Artist, winning the former category. The song was performed on many of her tours including Greatest Love Tour (1986) and her Nothing But Love World Tour (2009–10). “How Will I Know” is also featured as a remix on Houston’s compilation album Whitney: The Greatest Hits (2000), whereas the original single version is featured on The Ultimate Collection (2007) and I Will Always Love You: The Best of Whitney Houston (2012).
“How Will I Know” is a synth-funk and dance-pop song composed in a 1980s dance beat. According to Kyle Anderson of MTV, the song found Houston hitting an “incredible groove”. It is written in the key of G flat major. The beat is set the time signature of common time and moves at a fast tempo of 120 beats per minute. The song also has the sequence of G♭-B♭m7-G♭/C♭-D♭-E♭m-D♭ as its chord progression. Houston’s vocals in the song span from the note of D♭4 to the high note of G5. Lyrically, the song speaks about the lead woman trying to discern whether a man she likes will ever like her back. She is also hesitant, because her friends tell her “love can be deceiving”, and she is so shy that she cannot call him. Later, she feels that it might be a dream, but realizes that “there’s no mistaking”, and that what she feels is really love.
Video
Lyrics
There’s a boy I know, he’s the one I dream of
Looks into my eyes, takes me to the clouds above, mmm-hmm
Oh, I lose control, can’t seem to get enough, uh-huh
When I wake from dreaming, tell me, is it really love?
Ooh, how will I know? (Don’t trust your feelings)
How will I know?
How will I know? (Love can be deceiving)
How will I know?
How will I know if he really loves me?
I say a prayer with every heartbeat
I fall in love whenever we meet
I’m asking you ’cause you know about these things
How will I know if he’s thinking of me?
I try to phone but I’m too shy (can’t speak)
Falling in love is so bittersweet
This love is strong, why do I feel weak?
Oh, wake me, I’m shaking
Wish I had you near me now, uh-huh
Said there’s no mistaking
What I feel is really love
Ooh, tell me how will I know? (Don’t trust your feelings)
How will I know?
How will I know? (Love can be deceiving)
How will I know?
How will I know if he really loves me?
I say a prayer with every heartbeat
I fall in love whenever we meet
I’m asking you ’cause you know about these things
How will I know if he’s thinking of me?
I try to phone but I’m too shy (can’t speak)
Falling in love is so bittersweet
This love is strong, why do I feel weak?
If he loves me
If he loves me not
If he loves me
Ooh, if he loves me not
Hey, if he loves me
If he loves me not
Oh, how will I know, how will I know?
How will I know?
Hey, how will I know?
Ooh, how will I know if he really loves me?
I say a prayer with every heartbeat
I fall in love whenever we meet
I’m asking you ’cause you know about these things
How will I know if he’s thinking of me?
I try to phone but I’m too shy (can’t speak)
Falling in love is so bittersweet
This love is strong, why do I feel weak?
How will I know? (how will I know?)
How will I know?
How will I know? (I say a prayer)
How will I know?
Ooh, how will I know? (I fall in love)
How will I love, hey, how will I know? (I’m asking you)