The great diva herself, Aretha Franklin, has made quite an interesting come back this year. Having given us her take on Adele’s “Rolling In the Deep” and blending Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” with a hint of Destiny’s Child “Survivor,” Auntie Aretha has finally released her 10-track album, Aretha Franklin Sings The Great Diva Classics, and if you don’t listen close enough you just might miss a really stellar musical moment. Sure, hearing Ms. Franklin launch into classic records like Etta James' “At Last” and Gladys Knight’s “Midnight Train to Georgia” will be memorable, but nothing compares to the Andre 3000-produced album closer.
With the help of Andre and the likes of Debra Killings, Joi Gilliam and Keisha Jackson, Aretha sinks her teeth into a perfectly jazzy rendition of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” that will leave you smiling. Seeming to have dug back into his Class Of 3000 bag for a bit of inspiration, Andre places Aretha in the best musical light possible and manages to outshine every other track on this album. Every thing about this take is magical, even down to Franklin getting carried away and ad-libbing about her love for strawberry sundaes, hamhocks and garlic bread. With that being said, make your way to iTunes and grab your copy of Aretha Franklin’s brand new album and get into the swing of these special covers that she’s singing.
