Synopsis

Whitney Houston performs "How Will I Know" inside a vivid, graphic world of colored panels, video screens and geometric spaces. The playful visuals mirror the song's uncertainty about recognizing love, while Houston moves through the set with energetic choreography and a bright, fashion-forward 1980s style. Backup dancers, rapid editing, paint-splattered surfaces and a brief black-and-white appearance by Aretha Franklin add to the video's lively pop-art atmosphere. The clip presents Houston as both a powerful vocalist and an approachable, charismatic dance performer.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed in London, England.

• The maze-like set was conceived as a visual metaphor for relationships and the uncertainty expressed in the song's title.

• The colorful set was built from plastic panels. According to the official Whitney Houston site, the vivid effects came from printer's ink being thrown onto the panels by the art department.

• Choreographer Arlene Phillips helped give Houston a more active performance style than in her earlier, more static videos.

• Aretha Franklin, Houston's labelmate and family friend, appears briefly in a black-and-white cameo.

• The clip's heavy MTV exposure helped introduce Houston to a wider teenage audience and contributed to her breakthrough as a pop star.

• "How Will I Know" received MTV Video Music Award nominations for Best Female Video and Best New Artist in 1986, winning Best Female Video.

• The song was originally written for Janet Jackson, who passed on it before Houston recorded a version with revised lyrics and new production by Narada Michael Walden.