"Million Dollar Bill" is a song performed by American recording artist Whitney Houston from her seventh studio album, I Look to You (2009). It was released as the official worldwide lead (second US single) from the album on August 18, 2009 through Arista Records in the US and August 24, 2009 through RCA Records in the UK. It is Houston's final single from a studio album, and the last song released in her lifetime before her death in 2012. The song samples R&B singer Loleatta Holloway's "We're Getting Stronger" from Holloway's 1976 debut LP.

The song was written by singer-songwriter Alicia Keys and samples R&B singer Loleatta Holloway's "We're Getting Stronger" from Holloway's 1976 debut LP. Keys had requested to be a part of Houston's album and Houston decided she wanted to work with Keys after hearing her perform at one of Clive Davis' parties. Houston said for MTV News that “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”. “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,’ ” Houston explained.

It was produced by hip-hop producer Swizz Beatz with an old school R&B beat. Beatz told MTV News that the process on the song started when he got a call from Clive Davis and record executive Larry Jackson. After he had produced the beat, Keys joined him in the songwriting process and the duo completed the song. Keys told Billboard about the recording session(s), "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."

The song received critical acclaim at the album's three listening parties and was cited as a "big comeback record". Houston performed the song live on The X Factor in the UK on Sunday, October 18 the night before the album was released in that territory.

...
Wikipedia