|
Taken from Forbes (Feb 15, 2019)
Chaka Khan Returns After 12 Years With 'Hello Happiness' Album
by Chris Malone, Contributor
Chaka Khan arrives at the 61st annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) |
In a much welcome return to music, Chaka Khan is back with her first new material in 12 years: Hello Happiness, a 7-track album that shows the Queen of Funk's artistic vision as she approaches the fifth decade of her career.
Hello Happiness serves as a spiritual successor to 2007's Funk You, incorporating elements of late-'70s disco with contemporary funk-infused beats by the hands of English producer Switch. In the past, Switch has brought his catchy production to the work of artists like M.I.A., Beyonce, and Santigold, so it was only natural for him to link up with the Queen of Funk for a comeback album.
Following the death of her good friend Prince in 2016, Khan entered rehab for prescription drug addiction as a way of finding clarity and renewed focus on her career. She's battled with drug abuse at points throughout her career, and at times it led to Khan pausing all work in the studio for upcoming albums. Hello Happiness is a collection of songs recorded over the last decade, with most work done in the last few years.
The album's titular track opens the album, and feels like the most natural marriage of Chaka's Rufus-era sound and Switch's four-on-the-floor beats. "Take me back to the dance floor / So I can dance away my blues" Khan croons over a dreamy dance groove, channeling the spirit of the diva's classic hits.
"Like Sugar," which appears towards the end of the tracklist, is the only song that fans heard prior to the album's release. Along with "Too Hot," "Like Sugar" is a playfully seductive track that's guaranteed to get bodies moving, albeit in different ways. On some tracks like "Don't Cha Know" and "Isn't That Enough," her voice takes a backseat to Switch's production, with "Don't Cha Know" sounding more like an electrofunk remix of a Pink Floyd song.
When legends approach the half-century mark in music, it's not necessary to adapt to newer styles as a way of maintaining respect and status. Chaka Khan is now sitting comfortably on this throne, but shows with Hello Happiness that she's always up for the challenge of creating fresh, contemporary funk with the spirit of the hits that made her the icon she is today.
|
