LIFESTYLE
"I came to sing, and I came to really do a good job"
Chaka Khan has opened up about her views on some of the biggest names in pop today, suggesting that certain artists may rely too heavily on their image to make up for what she believes is a lack of strong vocals.
The legendary performer, who marked her 73rd birthday on Monday, March 23, appeared on Jessie Ware’s Table Manners podcast. During the conversation, Ware referenced a recent appearance Khan made on The Breakfast Club alongside fellow tour partners Patti LaBelle and Stephanie Mills.
During that earlier discussion, LaBelle spoke about the importance of presenting themselves with authenticity and avoiding “pretend singing”, while Mills added that their live shows rely on talent rather than gimmicks.
“You were all kind of commenting, ‘When we go on stage, we just sing. We don’t need to do the bells and whistles. We don’t need to show our bodies,’” Ware said, before asking: “Do you think that the demands have changed on female performers now, or do you think it’s always been there [and] you just haven’t played the game?”
Khan responded by saying that the “game has changed because all bets are off,” adding, “These women are doing any and every damn thing on stage and trying to sing, too. And the ones who are doing the most physicalities, with their butts and stuff, and their body parts, are the ones that usually are compensating for what they don’t have.”
Ware’s mother and co host Lennie began to joke, “Move your bottom if you don’t,” before Khan finished the thought by saying, “[Have the] voice. Absolutely. I came to sing, and I came to really do a good job, and that’s hard work. I don’t feel like it’s hard work once I’m doing it. I feel great.”
The full interview is available to watch online, with this part of the conversation beginning around the 21 minute mark.
Khan’s ‘The Queens: 4 Legends, 1 Stage’ tour with LaBelle, Mills and Gladys Knight is set to resume in May after two previously successful runs. Upcoming dates include performances in cities such as New Orleans and Houston. Tickets can be found here.
Beyond touring, Khan has also stayed active with other milestones recently. On January 31, she received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award ahead of the main ceremony. Other honourees included Paul Simon and Cher, while Whitney Houston and Fela Kuti were recognised posthumously.
Last September, she also joined Dua Lipa during the ‘Radical Optimism’ tour, performing her signature hit ‘Ain’t Nobody’ during the Chicago stop.
At the same time, music from the Queen of Funk has recently been featured on the soundtracks for ‘Cross’, ‘Wonder Man’ and ‘Ironheart’.
