The wait for Whitney Houston's long-touted comeback is over - in the US at least.

The singer's first album in seven years, 'I Look to You', hits stores in North America recently, with music industry analysts predicting it will hit the number one spot in the US charts - especially since the release of Mariah Carey's album 'Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel' has been pushed back to 29 September.

Featuring songs by the likes of R Kelly, Houston's sixth studio album is her first since divorcing Bobby Brown and kicking the drug habit that almost derailed her career.

The album has been released under Arista Records and it has two leading singles - the title track peaked at number 19 on the Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs, while 'Million Dollar Bill' has been released to radio stations.

Media reports say Houston (46) will promote her new album by appearing on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' on 14 September. She's also going to tape a performance in New York's Central Park for ABC's show 'Good Morning America'.

'I Look to You' is described as a mix of ballads and dance music. Apart from Kelly, the producers and writers include Swizz Beatz, Alicia Keys and Akon, who's also a guest vocalist on the album.