Senegalese rap sensation Akon looks set to guest on Whitney Houston's long-awaited comeback album.
The platinum hip-hopper told Billboard, "I'm working on more uptempo records for her." Houston's album has reportedly been a year in the making. It's her first release since 2003 and the first new music after her tumultuous relationship with Bobby Brown ended in an October divorce. Akon went on, "She's been through a lot and has a dark history. So we've got to make the album brighter because she's come out of the cave now. She wants a celebration. She needs to come back to the old Whitney we remember."Reports have hinted that Houston's album will also feature collaborations with Jermaine Dupri, Timbaland, R Kelly, Missy Elliott, DJ Premier, Ne-Yo, George Michael, and Lil Jon. But Arista founder and Houston's personal mentor Clive Davis has suggested that the album will focus more on Whitney than her guests.
Akon is certainly flavour of the moment for '80s and '90s hitmakers. Apparently walking catastrophe Michael Jackson has enlisted the rapper for work on his next album, but Akon laughed when Billboard asked about the collaboration, saying, "Right now that's in the air. I can't talk about it."
