The song garnered positive reviews from critics, who commended Houston's vocal effort. It charted in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number twenty-six. It also reached a peak position of number twenty-two in the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number six on the Adult Contemporary chart. In Canada, the song reached a peak of number forty-five on the RPM Singles chart. Although there is no official music video for the song, a performance of the song at the 1996 MTV Movie Awards was taped and is used as a promotional clip. The song was later included as a medley, in her My Love Is Your Love World Tour (1999), along with a few other songs.
Houston starred in the 1995 romance film Waiting to Exhale, directed by Forest Whittaker. Although Houston did not intend to contribute to the film's soundtrack, when Whittaker hired Babyface to score the soundtrack, she opted in. Babyface, Houston and some other African-American female singers recorded songs for the album. The song was one of the final additions to the soundtrack. "Why Does It Hurt So Bad" was originally written by Babyface for Houston, two years prior to the release of Waiting to Exhale, but Houston refused to record it at that time. "I wasn't really in the mood for singing about why it hurts so bad," said Houston. Two years later, according to Chris Willman of Entertainment Weekly, the emotions of the movie merged with the real-life circumstances of Houston's troubled marriage to Bobby Brown. "Now, I'm ready to sing not only the joys of things, but the pains of things, also," Houston explained.
"Why Does It Hurt So Bad" is an R&B ballad. The song was written and produced by Kenneth Brian Edmonds, popularly known as "Babyface". According to the sheet music book for The Greatest Hits at Sheetmusicplus.com, the song is written in the key of B♭ major, and moves at a tempo of 69 beats per minute. It is set in time signature of common time and features a basic chord progression of B/E–Em–C♯m–G♯7. Houston's vocals span from the note of Am7 to the note of D5. According to Stephen Holden of New York Times, the song is a "lovelorn lament with a realistic twist". He noted that, through the verses, the singer congratulates herself for breaking up with an abusive boyfriend and admits that she is still in love.
The song garnered mainly positive reviews from critics. Craig Lytle of Allmusic noted that Houston's voice "sailed" through the song. Christopher John Farley of TIME commented Houston "particularly held her own", with a "masterly balance of pop, zip, and soulful melancholy". Steve Knopper of Newsday wrote: "It's lower-key and the singer, who also stars in the film, doesn't feel compelled to perform constant vocal feats." A writer for Boston Herald noted that the song was "understated". Similarly, Larry Flick of Billboard commented that the song should have been released as the follow-up to "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)". "Paired with Babyface, Houston is positively luminous on [this] heartbreak ballad, performing with a perfect blend of theatrical melodrama and guttural soul," he added. Deborah Wilker of South Florida Sun-Sentinel was mixed in her review commenting that the song was a "predictably histrionic follow-up" to "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)". But, Nick Krewen of The Spectator was even less enthusiastic, writing "[...] the two guaranteed [Whitney Houston] hits – 'Exhale (Shoop Shoop)' and 'Why Does It Hurt So Bad' – don't really offer anything new." Similarly, Cary Darling of Rome News-Tribune gave a negative review. She noted that "[the] ballad 'Why Does It Hurt So Bad' is [more] standard Whitney-fare".
Released as the seventh and final single from the Waiting to Exhale: Original Soundtrack Album, the song debuted at number sixty on the Billboard Hot 100, on the issue dated August 3, 1996. On the same issue, the song debuted at number thirty-four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart. The song later reached a peak of number twenty-six on Hot 100, twenty-two on R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart. It also reached number six on the Adult Contemporary chart, while reaching a peak of thirty-nine on the Adult Pop Songs chart. In Canada, the song debuted at number ninety-eight on the RPM Singles chart, on the July 22, 1996 issue. Later, on the September 15, 1996 issue, it reached a peak of number forty-five.
Houston performed the song on her My Love Is Your Love World Tour, in 1999. The song was performed as a part of the "Movie Medley", along with "I Believe in You and Me", "It Hurts Like Hell" , originally performed by Aretha Franklin, and "I Will Always Love You". This performance was taped in Sopot, Poland, on August 22, 1999 and broadcast on Polish television channel, TVP1.
Houston starred in the 1995 romance film Waiting to Exhale, directed by Forest Whittaker. Although Houston did not intend to contribute to the film's soundtrack, when Whittaker hired Babyface to score the soundtrack, she opted in. Babyface, Houston and some other African-American female singers recorded songs for the album. The song was one of the final additions to the soundtrack. "Why Does It Hurt So Bad" was originally written by Babyface for Houston, two years prior to the release of Waiting to Exhale, but Houston refused to record it at that time. "I wasn't really in the mood for singing about why it hurts so bad," said Houston. Two years later, according to Chris Willman of Entertainment Weekly, the emotions of the movie merged with the real-life circumstances of Houston's troubled marriage to Bobby Brown. "Now, I'm ready to sing not only the joys of things, but the pains of things, also," Houston explained.
"Why Does It Hurt So Bad" is an R&B ballad. The song was written and produced by Kenneth Brian Edmonds, popularly known as "Babyface". According to the sheet music book for The Greatest Hits at Sheetmusicplus.com, the song is written in the key of B♭ major, and moves at a tempo of 69 beats per minute. It is set in time signature of common time and features a basic chord progression of B/E–Em–C♯m–G♯7. Houston's vocals span from the note of Am7 to the note of D5. According to Stephen Holden of New York Times, the song is a "lovelorn lament with a realistic twist". He noted that, through the verses, the singer congratulates herself for breaking up with an abusive boyfriend and admits that she is still in love.
The song garnered mainly positive reviews from critics. Craig Lytle of Allmusic noted that Houston's voice "sailed" through the song. Christopher John Farley of TIME commented Houston "particularly held her own", with a "masterly balance of pop, zip, and soulful melancholy". Steve Knopper of Newsday wrote: "It's lower-key and the singer, who also stars in the film, doesn't feel compelled to perform constant vocal feats." A writer for Boston Herald noted that the song was "understated". Similarly, Larry Flick of Billboard commented that the song should have been released as the follow-up to "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)". "Paired with Babyface, Houston is positively luminous on [this] heartbreak ballad, performing with a perfect blend of theatrical melodrama and guttural soul," he added. Deborah Wilker of South Florida Sun-Sentinel was mixed in her review commenting that the song was a "predictably histrionic follow-up" to "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)". But, Nick Krewen of The Spectator was even less enthusiastic, writing "[...] the two guaranteed [Whitney Houston] hits – 'Exhale (Shoop Shoop)' and 'Why Does It Hurt So Bad' – don't really offer anything new." Similarly, Cary Darling of Rome News-Tribune gave a negative review. She noted that "[the] ballad 'Why Does It Hurt So Bad' is [more] standard Whitney-fare".
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Houston performed the song on her My Love Is Your Love World Tour, in 1999. The song was performed as a part of the "Movie Medley", along with "I Believe in You and Me", "It Hurts Like Hell" , originally performed by Aretha Franklin, and "I Will Always Love You". This performance was taped in Sopot, Poland, on August 22, 1999 and broadcast on Polish television channel, TVP1.
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