Vanessa Williams has been an industry staple since she first snatched the 1984 Miss America crown. She quickly took the world by storm soon after, launching careers in film and television, music and on the stage that have kept her in the public eye. Though pop music is where she first found post-Miss America success, it’s been a long 15 years since the diva has given us anything in that arena. She finally breaks that musical silence with her new single “Legs (Keep Dancing).”
“Legs” is a funky pop workout of a song that finds Vanessa reestablishing her foothold in the industry. She turns to her trusted collaborator Kipper Jones along with co-songwriters/producers Chantry Johnson and Kjersti Long to craft the comeback joint, and they do not disappoint. The song manages to sound current without chasing trends, giving an industry vet like Vanessa a perfect re-entry into a lane she had great success in throughout the ’80s and ’90s.
The singer also shines here, putting her well-developed voice to work on the dance tune as she paraphrases Diahann Carroll on the chorus. “They say the legs are the last to go / I’ma keep dancing / I’m still putting on the show / I’ma keep dancing,” she sings on the chorus. “’Til they can’t do it no more / I’ll go where they take me / ’Cause the legs are the last thing so / I’ma keep dancing.”
The song’s video also establishes that the 61-year-old singer has still got that fire. The clip starts with a pan up of her gorgeous stems as she puts a troupe of dancers through their paces and dares them to keep up with hers. She also manages to work in a bit of glamour with fashionable ’fits and appearances by some of her friends, including the aforementioned Mr. Jones and LION BABE singer Jillian Hervey (who just so happens to be her daughter). It’s a good time and shows that Ms. Williams still has that spark that made us fall in love with her in the first place.
“Legs (Keep Dancing)” is the lead single from her as-yet-untitled album set for release later this year. If the rest of the project sounds anything like this, we’ll definitely be on the lookout for that project. Check out Vanessa Williams and her undeniable gams when you listen to her latest single and watch its video below.
