Pat Houston says the idea for Scott’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” actually came from Primary Wave. They were familiar with Scott’s live cover version of the song from his stint opening for Ed Sheeran in 2024. On that tour, Scott stripped the 1987 classic down into a ballad, blending it with Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own.”
The reimagined duet version of ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ with Whitney Houston and Calum Scott is streaming everywhere now! Listen to it HERE
After hearing what Scott could do with the song — taking it from its up-tempo pop spirit to a big-hearted ballad, while also taking into consideration that 2025 marks the 40th anniversary of Houston’s music career — Pat Houston was on board. It was yet another opportunity for celebration. “I said, you know what, this is a no-brainer. This is the Houston style. So, let’s go with this,” she said.
“Whitney was a balladeer and that’s why we all fell in love with her,” she continued. “And Calum turned the song into a beautiful ballad.”
