I Look to You had first been conceived in 2007 with recording and production taking place in 2008, as said Houston during her Los Angeles album listening party in 2009.

[4] Rumor of Houston's return to music were first circulated at the start of 2007 and were then substantiated when record label boss and close mentor Clive Davis confirmed that he would personally be involved in the project whilst speaking on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

In February 2009, Houston appeared on stage at Davis's "Pre-Grammy Gala" where she performed a four-song set comprising "I Will Always Love You", "I Believe in You and Me", "It's Not Right but It's Okay", and a rousing version of "I'm Every Woman".

Onlookers included her mother Cissy Houston, musicians Paul McCartney, Jamie Foxx, and Barry Manilow as well as actors Antonio Banderas and Sylvester Stallone.

[5] She told press in London that her latest album will reflect her emotional state and chronicle events in her personal life since her last musical release in 2002.

"[4][9] Shaheem Reed from MTV commented "Houston's voice [was displayed] over a club-friendly beat that blends a rough-riding thump with R&B".

[4] "Call You Tonight" is one of two songs written by Johntá Austin and was produced by Norwegian production team Stargate featuring "their trademark guitar riffs".

In the song Houston makes reference to LL Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out" with the lyric, "Don't call it a comeback, I've been here for years.

The evening was hosted at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel by Sony Music chief creative executive Clive Davis.

[19] The album preview triggered a standing ovation, and the song Million Dollar Bill was among those that received critical acclaim.

"[32] Slant Magazine critic Sal Cinquemani also wrote I Look to You finds Whitney struggling to hit notes and deliver phrases that should come effortlessly to such a seasoned vocalist; her vocal cords are plagued by edema, her voice reedy and lacking the crystalline clarity it once possessed on classics like "I Will Always Love You" and "I Have Nothing".

[...] What she undoubtedly is, is a pro – she sells these subdued glitzy productions, she makes boring songs interesting, she remains a forceful, tangible presence.

"[22] Nick Levine of Digital Spy gave the album 4 out of 5 stars and said, "Thanks to contributions from a clutch of au courant R&B producers, it does sound contemporary...her voice may not be as technically impressive as it was, but its new, more weathered tones have character, making an optimistic song like Million Dollar Bill really quite touching and a defiant one like 'For The Lovers' more dramatic.

Sales spiked with Houston's high-profile appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show on September 14–15, 2009, returning the album to the number two position in its third week of release with 156,000 copies sold.

[45] According to Houston's official website, the album and singles combined have sold a total of 500,000 copies in the UK and Ireland.

[47] The album was preceded by the release of the title song, "I Look to You" which was written by R. Kelly and produced by Tricky Stewart, Harvey Mason Jr., and Emanuel Kiriakou.

Internationally the single experienced some success, including in the United Kingdom where promotion of the Freemasons remix enabled it to peak at number five, her first top 5 hit in a decade.

[51] The ballad, "I Didn't Know My Own Strength", written by Diane Warren and produced by David Foster, peaked at number 17 on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart after a remix was released as a bonus track on the US iTunes version of the album.

[60] Houston's performance on Good Morning America's 'Fall Concerts' series on the American television broadcast network ABC aired on September 2, 2009.

[62] On October 3, 2009, Houston appeared on German television show, Wetten Dass,[63] and later she was on Le Grand Journal in France to perform "Million Dollar Bill".

[66] On November 22, 2009, Houston performed "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" at the 2009 American Music Awards in Los Angeles, which gave her a standing ovation.

[67] It was announced via Houston's official website on October 12, 2009, that the singer would embark on her first world tour in 11 years in promotion of her latest album I Look to You.

"[68] The tour began on December 9, 2009, in Russia[69] with further dates including Germany,[70] Switzerland,[71] Austria,[72] Belgium,[73] Italy,[71] and Australia.

The 'International Artist Award' was given "in recognition of her worldwide success exemplified by her international record sales, radio airplay in countries all over the world, live performances that span the globe, and popularity that knows no borders or boundaries.