It worked for David Hasselhoff.
Whitney Houston's taking her show on the road, traveling abroad to find an unjaded and adoring audience for her pop tunes.
Houston, 40, is set to make her debut in China next month with a July 22 show in Shanghai, according to the concert's promoters.
"Whitney has said that China is her favorite country, so it will definitely be an emotional show," chief sponsors Shanghai Wenguang News and Media Group said in a news release.
(Um, musicians say that at every stop, but we digress.)
Houston's visit to China is something of a trend right now. Mariah Carey played two dates in Shanghai last November, and British rockers Deep Purple performed in Beijing and Shanghai in March.
In addition, Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys are preparing for shows in the communist country--though Spears is subject to wardrobe censoring when she visits (if she manages to recover from knee surgery in time).
Asian fans know Houston best for her Bodyguard soundtrack hit "I Will Always Love You."
She's also big in Germany (ditto Hasselhoff), where earlier this month, the Grammy winner was honored with a lifetime achievement award at the Women's World Awards.
She's due back in Deutschland later this summer as part of a tour with Natalie Cole and Dionne Warwick.
Houston, who recently wrapped up rehab, may also be trying to put some distance between herself and erratic hubby Bobby Brown.
The "My Prerogative" singer has been ordered to stand trial on domestic violence charges for allegedly roughing up his missus last December.
In May, Brown was ordered to turn himself in for fingerprinting July 10 or 11, at which point he'll be released on $2,000 bond. No trial date has been set.