Composition
"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" is an R&B ballad written in the key of C♯ major. The song is set in common time with a tempo of 80 beats per minute. It has the sequence of F(add9)–C/E–Dm7–C as its chord progression throughout the track, and Houston's vocals span an octave and a perfect fifth, from the low note of G3 to the high note of D5. The song's instrumentation includes quiet bells and strings, and the whole arrangement is mellow. According to Steve Knopper of Newsday, the bells resemble electronic Christmas bells, and Houston ad-libs "shoo-pay" over the chorus. The chorus repeats the phrase "shoop de shoop".
According to Bronson, the song summarizes the movie's philosophy. His opinion was somewhat echoed by Ted Cox, author of the book Whitney Houston, who noted that the soothing quality of the song fitted perfectly with the mood and texture of the movie. He described that the song has a "slow groove" that features the most relaxed singing of Houston's career. The Miami Herald described the song as a model of "refined, easy-going soul", and Kyle Anderson of MTV described it as a "smooth jam" with a "crazy-catchy groove". Describing the instrumentation as "silky", Larry Flick of Billboard wrote that Houston's performance was more soulful than before, with far more "vocal colors". Stephen Holden of The New York Times commented that the song is reminiscent of 1960s girl group records, and the verses speak about growing up and learning to let go.
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