Million Dollar Bill

Album

I Look to You

Label

Arista Records

Genre

Disco

Composer(s)

A.Keys,K.Dean,N.Harris,A.W.Felder,R.Tyson

Entered Chart

Sep 19, 2009

Peak Date

Sep 19, 2009

Released

August 18, 2009

Recorded

2008

Catalog #

Arista Digital

This joyful, uptempo track about love was released as the official worldwide lead single from Whitney Houston's seventh studio album I Look to You. Singer-songwriter Alicia Keys and producer Swizz Beatz wrote this song especially for Whitney. Houston recalled to MTV News that she wanted to work with Keys after hearing her perform at one of record executive Clive Davis' parties. Said Whitney: "When she performed at one of [Clive's] parties the year before last, I kind of looked at her, and it was when she had the 'No One' record out, and it was the only record that came on the radio that inspired me. It made me feel good and happy, and I thought, 'God, she's on the label with Daddy [Clive Davis] here.' I thought, 'I got to get to know her. I got to have a camaraderie with some of the people that were on the label where I came back home to.' I walked over to her, and off the cuff said, 'Hey, do you think you could produce me?' She said, 'Yeah, I think I can.'. Then I performed a year after, and she came up with the song 'Million Dollar Bill,' and I said, 'Wow, incredible.' " Swizz Beatz, whose résumé includes "Ring the Alarm" and "Check On It" for Beyoncé, told MTV News that the process on the song started when he got a call from Clive Davis and record executive Larry Jackson. They said that they were working with Whitney and asked the songwriter/producer what material he had. Swizz explained: "I went to the office and vibed with Larry. I was like, 'She really sounds good. She's on her A-game.'" Swizz added: "At the time I was working on some stuff with Alicia. I was like, 'We need to bring Whitney back. We need to do some stuff to support Whitney.' Then Alicia was like, 'I love Whitney, she's an icon. I would love to be a part of that.' I started vibing on different things. I didn't want to come with anything that would make her sound too old or too young. That's when I got the vibe to do something that had, like, a disco feel, but still with the hard drums on it - still musical but moving. I wanted to do something that was instant when it came on." "Then I played the idea for Alicia to make sure I wasn't bugging out,2 he continued. "'Am I going too far with this?' She was like, 'Nah. That can be a big smash.'" The duo then sat down and came up with lyrics. Swizz explained that the song "is all about the feelings new love can bring." This old skool R&B/disco jam features a sample of American soul singer Loleatta Holloway's 1977 cut "We're Getting Stronger (The Longer We Stay Together)." Alicia Keys told Billboard magazine about writing for Houston: "Whitney is an artist who inspired me from [the time I was] a little girl. Fast-forwarding to now and being able to work with her to help create this song that took off was fun. We had a lot of laughs; it was like being with a long-lost friend."

Oh oh oh yeah
Oh oh oh oh oh

Came in the door
Checked in my coat
And who I'm looking for
Is staring in my face

They played our song
We hit the floor
He held me strong
And we danced the night away

I can see the way that he is making feel
This way about his love
I've been looking for something like this
I'm saying ooh oh oh oh ooh oh oh!

If he makes you feel like a million dollar bill
Say oh oh oh, say oh oh oh!
If you go left right up down
Make you spinning round and round
Say ooh oh oh oh, say ooh oh oh oh!

It's been a long long time
Since I fell, fell
Love has found my way oh oh oh
I've been looking (looking)
I've been searching (searching)
For the man to touch this place, oh ooh oh yeah

Can't deny the way that he is making feel
This way about his love
I've been searching for something like this
I'm saying oh oh oh oh, say ooh oh oh oh!

If he makes you feel like a million dollar bill
Say oh oh oh, say oh oh oh!
Makes you go left right up down
Makes you spinning round and round
Say oh oh oh oh, say ooh oh oh oh!

If he makes you feel like a million dollar bill
Say oh oh oh, say oh oh oh!
Makes you go left right up down
Makes you spinning round and round
Say oh oh oh oh, say ooh oh oh oh!

If you feel good
If you're feeling good
Put one hand in the air, say yeah
If you feel good
If you're feeling good
It's 'cause love is in the air
Love is in the air

If he makes you feel like a million dollar bill
Say oh oh oh, say oh oh oh!
Makes you go left right up down
Makes you spinning round and round
Say ooh oh oh oh, say ooh oh oh oh!

If he makes you feel like a million dollar bill
Say oh oh oh, say oh oh oh!
Makes you go left right up down
Makes you spinning round and round
Say ooh oh oh oh, say ooh oh oh oh!

Come on and say...

Come on and say...