Although her recent public attention focused far less on her musical talent and more on her personal misfortunes Whitney Houston's latest LP, titled Just Whitney, is a fitting comeback for an extremely talented artist. Working with top of the line producers and artists like Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, Missy Elliot and Tweet, Just Whitney proves to be reminiscent of an artist who many thought was long gone.

Houston's return to the stage is complimented by her return to big ballads and the mixture of R&B, soul, pop and blues that sets her apart from other artists. The tone of this diva's latest release seems to be her most defensive ever which is evidenced in tracks like "Unashamed" where Houston sings the lines "I live my life without regrets / what ya see what ya see what ya see is what ya get."

Houston's track "Love That Man" serves as an ode to her husband, Bobby Brown, with the pop track proclaiming love for her man. She also shares a duet with Brown fittingly entitled "My Love." Yet perhaps Houston's biggest tribute to Brown is allowing him to serve as co-producer for her album.

For Houston's fans anticipating high temperature ballads, they won't be left disappointed after hearing tracks like "Tell Me No," the remade "You Light Up My Life" (originally released in 1977 by Debbie Boone) and old school slow jam "Things You Say," penned and produced by music mogul Missy Elliot with background vocals by Tweet.

The ballad "Own My Own" is a subtly defiant song of Houston's which harmoniously tells her audience that she is still growing, still maturing, but realizes that she is a stronger person now than she was before and is ready to take on and conquer new endeavors on her own. The orchestra vibe that the song delivers allows Houston to highlight her superior vocal talent ranging from high to low octaves. The up-tempo "Dear John Letter" relates to a majority of Houston's fans who have experienced the hazards of a relationship on its last leg. With lyrics like "And I can't go through with mailing this to you / I'm writing you a dear john letter / I tried to stay but it never got better / I couldn't tell you face to face but I / I had to let you know sometimes I wanna hit the door" most of Houston's adult audience vibe with this track.

Whether driving to work, walking to class, having a quiet dinner at home, cleaning out a garage or a dorm room "Just Whitney" offers fitting tunes for all occasions. The personal flavor of this diva's first new release in the 21st century demands respect from its listeners and is rightfully rewarded. The biggest disappointment comes with the knowledge of learning that there are only 10 tracks to choose from, but after taking a listen and falling in love all over again most will agree that "It's Not Right, But It's OK!"

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