Whitney Houston releases "I Look To You" as free download

It's official: With Mariah Carey's album pushed back until Sept. 15, the path to the Grammy for best pop vocal album should be clear for Whitney Houston.

Her long awaited comeback effort, "I Look to You," has been bumped to Aug. 31 from Sept. 1, a 24-hour difference that will now make the artist eligible for Grammy consideration.

While Houston's official website credits buzz from recent listening events in New York and Los Angeles for the bump, it is a sure bet that the holiday sales jump that will undoubtedly follow when Grammy nominations are unveiled in early December probably didn't make it a tough call for Arista Records.

The R. Kelly-penned title track was released today as a free download from the official website. It's the second ballad from the album to make its way to the Web, after an earlier leak of "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" got out receiving mixed reviews from listeners and fans alike.

Whitney Houston is one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 140 million albums and 50 million singles, worldwide. She is ranked as the fourth best-selling female artist in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with 54 million certified albums. Known as "The Voice" for her "powerful, penetrating pop-gospel" vocals, she has been listed by Rolling Stone magazine as one of The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.