Waiting to Exhale (soundtrack) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Upon release, Waiting to Exhale Soundtrack received critical acclaim. Stephen Holden

Stephen Holden

Stephen Holden is an American writer, music critic, film critic, and poet.Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963...

and Jon Pareles

Jon Pareles

Jon Pareles is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of the New York Times. He played jazz flute and piano, and graduated from Yale University with a degree in music. In the 1970s he was an associate editor of Crawdaddy!, and in the 1980s an associate...

of the New York Times praised Babyface's ability as composer and producer, both choosing the album as one of the top 10 albums of 1995. Hoden described him as "the most creative pop-soul musician since the prime of Stevie Wonder", and commented "he has created a suite of songs that evoke women's emotional and sexual fantasies with an astonishing sympathy, directness and expressive range." Pareles stated "Babyface gathers most of the sultriest female singers in current rhythm-and-blues and matches them with his own tender, gently pulsating songs. He uses understatement for seduction." Writing for New York Times on February 2, 1997, James Hunter called Waiting to Exhale Soundtrack "one of the commercial and artistic peaks of the new rhythm-and-blues." Geoffrey Himes, in an editorial review for Amazon.com

Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...

, stated that the soundtrack album is "a fascinating song suite, [...] and one of the best middle-of-the-road-pop, adult-contemporary albums of the decade." Among its sixteen songs, he complimented "Not Gon' Cry" performed by Mary J. Blige especially, commenting "Babyface's music and lyrics suggest a woman barely holding back a swelling flood of anger and heartache, and Blige's brilliant vocal captures both the agitation and the restraint." Josef Woodard of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...

gave the album an B, stating "Babyface shows an uncanny ability to blend Houston's pleasant, soft-edged commerciality with the sexually explicit and cutting-edge hip-hop of TLC. [...] The album goes down easy, just as you'd expect from a package framed by Whitney Houston tracks. Fittingly, the soundtrack waits to exhale, hovering in sensuous suspense." Jean Rosenbluth from Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....

noted Babyface's lyrics, saying "he has captured what it can mean to be a woman in 1995." In addition, she praised Whitney Houston and Toni Braxton for their vocals, stating their songs "with rich, smoky vocals as thick as Inland Empire smog, exude maturity without resorting to the relentlessly big vocals that characterize so many R&B records aiming for adult audiences." However unlike other critics that praised Babyface for his producing and songwriting ability on the album highly, Greg Kot

Greg Kot

Greg Kot is an American writer and journalist. Since 1990, Kot has been the music critic at the Chicago Tribune, where he has covered popular music and reported on music-related social, political and business issues...

, the music critic of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...

, was critical of his lyrics and production. Kot wrote "while Babyface's notions are noble, his lyrics too often settle for cliches instead of specifics, and the arrangements are swathed in the kind of synthesized wallpaper that is turning black pop into bland pop. [...] In achieving a dignified elegance, Babyface forgot about the soul." Craig Lytle with Allmusic rated Waiting to Exhale soundtrack four out-of five stars, and in his review of the album, paid more attention to female vocalists and their performances than lyrics or production for each track, calling the album "outstanding all-female set." Lytle said "the dynamic vocalist[Whitney Houston] sails through the emotional 'Why Does It Hurt So Bad.' On the inspirational duet 'Count on Me,' with CeCe Winas, and both accomplished singers raise all hopes with their comforting vocals", and went to on comment "[on] three stellar selections by three divas ㅡ Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, and Chaka Khan, their voices just defy time by soaring to admirable feats." Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

magazine described the soundtrack album as "an impeccably timed album with unlimited hit potential", and commented that it is "passionate"(Sittin' Up in My Room), "saucy"(This Is How It Works), "jazzy"(Wey U), and "torch."(Count on Me)

Singles

"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)

Exhale (Shoop Shoop)

"Exhale " is a song by American recording artist Whitney Houston, featured on the soundtrack for the film Waiting to Exhale. It was released as the lead single from the soundtrack on November 7, 1995, by Arista Records. The song was written and produced by Babyface...

" performed by Whitney Houston, was released as the lead single from the soundtrack in November 1995. Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

called the song "a surprisingly understated shuffle-ballad with soul and far more interesting vocal colors than all the shrieking can provide." The single debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

chart and the Hot R&B Singles

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...

chart, the issue date of November 25, 1995, selling 125,000 units in its first week. It became the third single to achieve that feat in Billboard history, following Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...

's "You Are Not Alone

You Are Not Alone

"You Are Not Alone", released on the 10th of August 1995, is the second single from Michael Jackson's album HIStory. The R&B ballad's composition has been attributed R. Kelly in response to difficult times in his personal life. He then forwarded a bare demo tape to Jackson, who liked the song and...

" and Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...

's "Fantasy

Fantasy (Mariah Carey song)

"Fantasy" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on September 12, 1995 by Columbia Records as the lead single for her fifth studio album, Daydream . The song was written by Carey and Dave Hall, both serving as primary producers alongside Sean Combs...

". In addition, it became Houston's eleventh and seventh number one single, on the Hot 100 Singles chart and the Hot R&B Singles chart, respectively. After the single stayed at the top for just one week on the Hot 100 Singles chart, it spent eleven consecutive weeks at number two from December 2, 1995 to February 10, 1996, setting the record for the longest stay in the runner-up position. However, on the Hot R&B Singles chart, "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" remained at the summit for eight consecutive weeks since its debut week. It sold over 1,500,000 copies in 1995-1996 and was certified Platinum by the RIAA

Recording Industry Association of America

The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...

on January 3, 1996.

The album's second single, "Sittin' Up in My Room

Sittin' up in My Room

"Sittin' Up in My Room" is a song by American singer Brandy, written and produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds for the soundtrack of the 1995 motion picture Waiting to Exhale...

" by Brandy, debuted at number forty-six and number thirteen, on the Hot 100 Singles chart and Hot R&B Singles chart, the issue date of December 30, 1995, respectively. The single reached the number two on the Hot R&B Singles chart, the issue of February 17, 1996 and stayed there three consecutive weeks. It also peaked at number two on the Hot 100 Singles chart, staying on the chart for a total of thirty-three weeks. Cheo Hodari Coker from the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....

praised Babyface for his production on the song, stating "Babyface's funky-but-restrained background track is the real star of this jam. Using a pleasant mixture of plunking bass and synthesizer chords, [the song] proves that he has a grabbag of styles at his disposal." The single earned Platinum award by the RIAA on May 23, 1996, with 1,000,000 copies sold.

"Not Gon' Cry

Not Gon' Cry

"Not Gon' Cry" is a 1996 single by American R&B singer Mary J. Blige from the soundtrack to the film Waiting to Exhale; the song is also featured on Blige's 1997 album, Share My World...

" by Mary J. Blige was released as the third single in January 1996. It was critically acclaimed with most of them declaring it as "an anthem for many women." Geoffrey Himes of Amazon.com

Amazon.com

commented "Mary J. Blige stakes out a claim as the new diva on the block with an astonishing performance on the song." The single entered on the Hot R&B singles chart at number five in its initial week and the following week topped the chart, becoming her fourth number one single. It remained at the top for five consecutive weeks and stayed on the chart for a total of twenty-two weeks. It also became a major hit for Blige on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart, peaking at number two position. With first two singles from the album, when "Not Gon' Cry" was positioned in the top 10 on the Hot 100 and Hot R&B Singles chart in February 1996, which made Waiting to Exhale Soundtrack to set the record for the first film soundtrack to produce three simultaneous top 10 hits in history of Billboard charts. The single sold over 900,000 units and was certified Platinum by the RIAA on May 23, 1996.

The fourth single from the soundtrack, "Count on Me

Count on Me

"Count on Me" is a duet by American recording artists Whitney Houston and CeCe Winans. It is an uplifting song about leaning on a friend for support when needed. Released in early 1996, the song was the fourth single from the soundtrack album of the motion picture Waiting to Exhale, and the second...

" performed by Whitney Houston and CeCe Winans, was released in March 1996. Billboard, in their review for the single, referred it as "a buddy song for the diva generation", and complimented both singers on their excellent vocal, commenting "Houston dominates the track, though Winans makes a strong-enough impression that those who have yet to hear her fine recordings will yearn to hear more." The single debuted at number thirty-two and number eleven, on the Hot 100 and Hot R&B Singles chart, the issue of March 23, 1996, respevtively. And it peaked at number eight on the Hot 100 and number seven on the Hot R&B Singles chart in May 1996, in addition to reaching number four on Adult Contemporary chart. It was certified Gold by the RIAA on May 1, 1996, with 800,000 copies sold in the United States.

The album's fifth single, "Let It Flow

Let It Flow (song)

"Let It Flow" is a song by American R&B singer Toni Braxton. Written and produced by Babyface, the song was originally recorded for, and included on, the soundtrack to the 1995 motion picture Waiting to Exhale....

" by Toni Braxton, was released as a two-sided single with "You're Makin' Me High

You're Makin' Me High

"You're Makin' Me High" is the lead single from Toni Braxton's second studio album, Secrets . A joint collaboration between the Grammy Award-winning producer Babyface and Bryce Wilson resulted in this mid-tempo song...

" from Braxton's second album, Secrets, in May 1996. The double-A side single debuted at number seven on the Hot 100 and number two on the Hot R&B Singles chart, the issue dated June 8, 1996, becoming her highest-debuting single. It eventually topped the Hot 100 chart for a week, and the Hot R&B Singles chart for two weeks, which was her first number one single on both charts. Due to its staying power on the Hot R&B Singles chart, it was the #1 R&B Single on the 1996's Billboard year-end charts. The single sold over 1,500,000 copies in the United States and was certified Platinum by the RIAA on July 17, 1996. Just as soon as the soundtrack was released, the song received critical acclaim, being chosen as one of the best tracks on the album by critics. Stephen Holden

Stephen Holden

Stephen Holden is an American writer, music critic, film critic, and poet.Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963...

, the music critic of the New York Times, called it "small pop coup" and added "Braxton snaps out the words with a choked intensity, her dark, grainy contralto conveying a potent mixture of fury and sensuality."

"It Hurts Like Hell" by Aretha Franklin was released as the sixth single from the album in June 1996. It failed to enter on the Hot 100 chart, but peaked at number fifty-one on the Hot R&B Singles chart, the issue date of July 20, 1996. The song wasn't hit as big as some of the set's other tracks, but got good reviews at large from critics. Stephen Holden of the New York Times wrote "Franklin rises to heights of letting-it-all-out pop-gospel anguish that she has rarely reached before. Just when you think she can't spill out another drop, there is another melismatic gush of emotion." Geoffrey Himes, in his review for the Washington Post, commented "the album's peak moment belongs to Aretha Franklin, who makes us hear in every note what the title of [the song] is talking about."

"Why Does It Hurt So Bad

Why Does It Hurt So Bad

"Why Does It Hurt So Bad" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for the 1995 film Waiting to Exhale. It was released on July 7, 1996, by Arista Records as the seventh and final single from the accompanying soundtrack. The song was written and produced solely by Babyface...

" by Whitney Houston became the seventh and final single to be released off the album in July, 1996. Christopher John Farley

Christopher John Farley

For the late comedian and SNL actor, see Chris Farley.Christopher John Farley is a Jamaican-born American journalist, columnist, and author.-Early life and education:...

of the TIME
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...

magazine commented "Houston more than holds her own, particularly on [this], with its masterly balance of pop zip and soulful melancholy." At the time the single was issued, Billboard said "this should have been the follow-up to 'Exhale (Shoop Shoop)'" and added "she[Houston] was positively luminous on this heartbreak ballad." On August 3, 1996, the single debuted at number sixty and number thirty-four, on the Hot 100 and Hot R&B singles chart, respectively. In a few weeks later, it peaked at number twenty-six on the Hot 100 and number twenty-two on the Hot R&B.

Track listing

Note: all new songs produced by Babyface.

Chart positions

Chart(s)	Peak position
Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...	9
Austrian Albums Chart IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland...	14
Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Vl)	33
Belgian Albums Chart(Wa)	41
Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...	7
Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top...	16
New Zealand Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...	16
Spanish Albums Chart	9
Norwegian Albums Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by...	36
Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association ....	20
Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75...	20
US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...	1
US Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...	1

End of decade charts

Chart (1990–1999)	Position
US Billboard 200	61

Certifications and sales

Region	Provider	Certification Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales thresholds)	Sales/ shipments
Europe	IFPI IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland...	Platinum	1,000,000+
United States	RIAA	7× Platinum	5,100,000+/ 7,000,000+

Singles chart positions

Year	Single	Peak chart positions
Year	Single	US Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...	US R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...	US AC Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...	CAN Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays....	UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...	AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...	FRA	GER	IRL Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...	NED MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top...	NZ	SWE	SWI
1995	"Exhale (Shoop Shoop) Exhale (Shoop Shoop) "Exhale " is a song by American recording artist Whitney Houston, featured on the soundtrack for the film Waiting to Exhale. It was released as the lead single from the soundtrack on November 7, 1995, by Arista Records. The song was written and produced by Babyface... " (performed by Whitney Houston Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among... )	1	1	5	1	11	18	23	16	16	12	4	10	13
1995	"Sittin' Up in My Room Sittin' up in My Room "Sittin' Up in My Room" is a song by American singer Brandy, written and produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds for the soundtrack of the 1995 motion picture Waiting to Exhale... " (performed by Brandy Brandy Norwood Brandy Rayana Norwood , known professionally as Brandy, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, actress, and dancer. In 2009, she introduced her rap alter-ego Bran'Nu.... )	2	2	―	33	30	―	―	―	―	―	6	60	―
1996	"Not Gon' Cry Not Gon' Cry "Not Gon' Cry" is a 1996 single by American R&B singer Mary J. Blige from the soundtrack to the film Waiting to Exhale; the song is also featured on Blige's 1997 album, Share My World... " (performed by Mary J.Blige)	2	1	―	―	39	―	―	―	―	―	12	―	―
	"Count on Me Count on Me "Count on Me" is a duet by American recording artists Whitney Houston and CeCe Winans. It is an uplifting song about leaning on a friend for support when needed. Released in early 1996, the song was the fourth single from the soundtrack album of the motion picture Waiting to Exhale, and the second... " (performed by Whitney Houston & CeCe Winans CeCe Winans Priscilla "CeCe" Marie Winans Love is an American Gospel singer, who has won numerous Grammy and Stellar Awards.-Early life:CeCe Winans was born in Detroit, Michigan, to David and Delores Winans, on October 8, 1964... )	8	7	4	26	12	―	―	―	―	34	26	―	31
	"You're Makin' Me High"/"Let It Flow Let It Flow (song) "Let It Flow" is a song by American R&B singer Toni Braxton. Written and produced by Babyface, the song was originally recorded for, and included on, the soundtrack to the 1995 motion picture Waiting to Exhale.... " (B-side) (performed by Toni Braxton Toni Braxton Toni Michelle Braxton is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Braxton has won six Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, and five Billboard Music Awards and has sold over 60 million records worldwide... )	1	1	9	28	―	―	―	―	―	―	―	―	―
	"It Hurts Like Hell" (performed by Aretha Franklin Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All... )	―	51	―	―	―	―	―	―	―	―	―	―	―
	"Why Does It Hurt So Bad Why Does It Hurt So Bad "Why Does It Hurt So Bad" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for the 1995 film Waiting to Exhale. It was released on July 7, 1996, by Arista Records as the seventh and final single from the accompanying soundtrack. The song was written and produced solely by Babyface... " (performed by Whitney Houston)	26	22	6	45	―	―	―	―	―	―	―	―	―
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Chart procession and succession

American Music Awards

|-
| width=8% align="center" rowspan="2"|1997

American Music Awards of 1997

The 24th Annual American Music Awards were held on January 27, 1997.-Pop/Rock Category:-Soul/R&B Category:-Country Category:-Adult Contemporary Category:-Rap/Hip-Hop Category:-Alternative Category:-Heavy Metal Category:-Soundtrack Album:...

|| Waiting to Exhale Original Soundtrack Album || Favorite Soundtrack ||
|-
| Whitney Houston (herself) || Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist ||
|-

ASCAP Film & Television Music Awards

|-
| width="35" align="center"|1997 || "Count on Me" || Most Performed Songs, Motion Pictures (Whitney Houston, Michael Houston) ||
|-

ASCAP Pop Music Awards

|-
| width="35" align="center"|1997 || "Count on Me" || ASCAP Pop Award (Whitney Houston, Michael Houston) ||
|-

Billboard Music Awards

|-
| width="35" align="center"|1996 || "You're Makin' Me High"/"Let It Flow" || R&B Single of the Year ||
|-

BMI (Broadcast Music Incorporated) Pop Awards

|-
| width="35" align="center" rowspan="4"|1997 || Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds || The Songwriter of the Year ||
|-
| "Count on Me" || BMI Pop Award (Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds) ||
|-
| "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" || BMI Pop Award (Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds) ||
|-
| "Sittin' Up in My Room" || BMI Pop Award (Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds) ||
|-

Grammy Awards

|-
| width="35" align="center" rowspan="11"|1997 || Waiting to Exhale Original Soundtrack Album || Album of the Year

Grammy Award for Album of the Year

The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys. It has been awarded since 1959 and though it was originally presented to the artist alone, the award is now presented to the artist, the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer...

||
|-
| "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" || Song of the Year

Grammy Award for Song of the Year

The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...

(written by Babyface) ||
|-
| "Count on Me" || Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals (Whitney Houston & CeCe Winans) ||
|-
| "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" || Best R&B Song

Grammy Award for Best R&B Song

The Grammy Award for Best R&B Song has been awarded since 1959. From 1969 to 2000 it was known as the Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Song, from 1962 to 1968 it was known as Best Rhythm & Blues Recording, and from 1959-1961 as Best Rhythm & Blues Performance...

(written by Babyface) ||
|-
| "Sittin' Up in My Room" || Best R&B Song (written by Babyface) ||
|-
| "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" || Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (Whitney Houston) ||
|-
| "Not Gon' Cry" || Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (Mary J. Blige) ||
|-
| "Sittin' Up in My Room" || Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (Brandy) ||
|-
| "It Hurts Like Hell" || Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media (written by Babyface) ||
|-
| "Count on Me" || Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media (written by Babyface, Michael Houston and Whitney Houston) ||
|-
| "Exhale (Shoop Shoop) || Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media (written by Babyface) ||
|-

MTV Movie Awards

|-
| width="35" align="center" rowspan="2"|1996 || "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" (by Whitney Houston)|| Best Song from a Movie ||
|-
| "Sittin' Up in My Room" (by Brandy)|| Best Song from a Movie ||
|-

MTV Video Music Awards

|-
| width="35" align="center"|1996

1996 MTV Video Music Awards

The 1996 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 4, 1996, honoring the best music videos from June 16, 1995, to June 14, 1996. The show was hosted by Dennis Miller at Radio City Music Hall in New York City....

|| "Sittin' Up in My Room" (by Brandy) || Best Video from a Film ||
|-

NAACP Image Awards

|-
| width="35" align="center" rowspan="4"|1997 || rowspan="2"|Waiting to Exhale Original Soundtrack Album || Outstanding Soundtrack Album ||
|-
| Outstanding Album

NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Album

The NAACP Image Award winners for Outstanding Album:...

||
|-
| rowspan="2"|"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" || Outstanding Song

NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Song

The NAACP Image Award winners for Outstanding Song:...

||
|-
| Outstanding Female Artist

NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Female Artist

The NAACP Image Award winners for Outstanding Female Artist:-Stats:*As of 2011 ceremony, Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys & Whitney Houston holds the records with the most wins at three.*Most Nominations**1. Mary J. Blige- 9 nominations...

(Whitney Houston) ||
|-

The NARM Best Seller Awards

|-
| width="35" align="center"|1996 || Waiting to Exhale Original Soundtrack Album || Best-selling Soundtrack Recording ||
|-

People's Choice Awards

|-
| width="35" align="center"|1996 || Whitney Houston (herself) || Favorite Female Musical Performer ||
|-
| width="35" align="center"|1997 || Whitney Houston (herself) || Favorite Female Musical Performer ||
|-

Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) Awards

Year	Date	Title	Format(s)	Award Description(s)
1996	January 3	"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)"	Single	Gold
	January 3	"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)"	Single	Platinum
	January 16	Waiting to Exhale Original Soundtrack Album	Album	Gold
		Waiting to Exhale Original Soundtrack Album	Album	Platinum
		Waiting to Exhale Original Soundtrack Album	Album	4× Mult-Platinum
	February 14	"Sittin' Up in My Room"	Single	Gold
	March 12	"Not Gon' Cry"	Single	Gold
	March 19	Waiting to Exhale Original Soundtrack Album	Album	5× Mult-Platinum
	May 1	"Count on Me"	Single	Gold
	May 23	"Sittin' Up in My Room"	Single	Platinum
	May 23	"Not Gon' Cry"	Single	Platinum
	May 28	Waiting to Exhale Original Soundtrack Album	Album	6× Mult-Platinum
	July 17	"You're Makin' Me High"/"Let It Flow"	Single	Gold
	July 17	"You're Makin' Me High"/"Let It Flow"	Single	Platinum
	September 4	Waiting to Exhale Original Soundtrack Album	Album	7× Mult-Platinum

Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards

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| width="35" align="center" rowspan="3"|1996 || "Not Gon' Cry" || Best R&B/Soul Single— Solo (Mary J. Blige) ||
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| "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" || Best R&B/Soul Single— Solo (Whitney Houston) ||
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| "Count on Me" || R&B/Soul Composer of the Year (written by Whitney Houston, Kenneth Edmonds and Michael Houston) ||
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Soul Train Music Awards

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| width="35" align="center" rowspan="2"|1996 || rowspan="2"|"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" (by Whitney Houston) || Best R&B/Soul Single, Female

Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single, Female

The Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single, Female was given out every year since the first annual Soul Train Music Awards in 1987. From 1989-1992 the award was known as the R&B/Urban Contemporary Single - Female....

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|Best R&B/Soul or Rap Song of the Year
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1996 The Year in Music Year-End Charts

Year	Category	Work	Position
1996	Top Pop Artists	three charted singles & albums (Whitney Houston)	#41
	Top Billboard 200 Albums	Waiting to Exhale Original Soundtrack Album	#4
	Hot 100 Singles Artists	three charted singles (Whitney Houston)	#8
	Hot 100 Singles	"You're Makin' Me Hight"/"Let It Flow" (performed by Toni Braxton)	#9
		"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" (performed by Whitney Houston)	#14
		"Sittin' Up in My Room" (performed by Brandy)	#16
		"Not Gon' Cry" (performed by Mary J. Blige)	#32
		"Count on Me" (performed by Whitney Houston & CeCe Winans)	#48
	Hot 100 Singles Artists - Female	three charted singles (Whitney Houston)	#5
	Hot 100 Singles Producers	fourteen charted singles (Babyface)	#1
	Hot 100 Singles Sales	"You're Makin' Me Hight"/"Let It Flow"	#6
		"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)"	#7
		"Sittin' Up in My Room"	#15
		"Not Gon' Cry"	#19
		"Count on Me"	#28
	Hot 100 Singles Airplay	"Sittin' Up in My Room"	#21
		"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)"	#31
		"Not Gon' Cry"	#66
	Top R&B Artists	three charted singles & albums (Whitney Houston)	#28
	Top R&B Artists - Female	three charted singles & albums (Whitney Houston)	#7
	Top R&B Albums	Waiting to Exhale Original Soundtrack Album	#2
	Hot R&B Singles Artists	three charted singels (Whitney Houston)	#8
	Hot R&B Singles	"You're Makin' Me Hight"/"Let It Flow"	#1
		"Sittin' Up in My Room"	#8
		"Not Gon' Cry"	#13
		"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)"	#18
		"Count on Me"	#35
		"Why Does It Hurt So Bad" (performed by Whitney Houston)	#90
	Hot R&B Singles Producers	seventeen charted singles (Babyface)	#1
	Hot R&B Singles Sales	"You're Makin' Me Hight"/"Let It Flow"	#6
		"Not Gon' Cry"	#14
		"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)"	#16
		"Sittin' Up in My Room"	#23
		"Count on Me"	#54
	Hot R&B Singles Airplay	"Sittin' Up in My Room"	#8
		"Not Gon' Cry"	#9
		"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)"	#21
		"Let It Flow"	#22
		"Count on Me"	#33
	Hot 100 Singles Songwriters	thirteen charted singles (Babyface)	#1
	Hot R&B Singles Songwriters	seventeen charted singles (Babyface)	#1
	Hot Dance Music Maxi-Singles Sales	"You're Makin' Me Hight"/"Let It Flow"	#7
	Hot Adult Contemporary Artists	three charted singles (Whitney Houston)	#8
	Hot Adult Contemporary Singles & Tracks	"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)"	#16
	Top Soundtrack Albums	Waiting to Exhale Original Soundtrack Album	#1

1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade

Category	Work	Position
Top Pop Albums of the '90s	Waiting to Exhale Original Soundtrack Album	#61
Hot 100 Singles of the 90's	"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" (performed by Whitney Houston)	#52