George HaffendenThe Queen of Funk Chaka Khan is back with new music, and is reportedly releasing a new album later this year.
Chaka Khan has unveiled the first single ‘Like Sugar’ from her forthcoming album, which is due out later this year. No further details have been announced about the album, her first since her epic Funk This released in 2007.
‘Like Sugar’ combines Khan with Major Lazer producer Switch, and Khan’s new album will be released on Switch’s Diary Records imprint through Universal. There’s also an extended version of the song, and also a remix.
The new single has gained widespread attention across the music sites, but all fail to mention that the song heavily samples The Fatback Band’s 1975 classic funk-jam ‘(Are You Ready) Do The Bus Stop‘. The band’s leader Bill Curtis cleared the use of the track by Khan, but the sample seems to have gone unnoticed by the so-called music journalists covering the release.
Released just in time for summer, Chaka Khan will no doubt be hoping of a return to form. Earlier this year fans walked out en masse during her set at the Jazz in the Gardens festival, with videos from the event showing the legendary singer struggling to remember her lyrics and sounding less than great.
If, however, her new material is as good as that on Funk This (reported at the time as her “comeback” album), we are all in for a real treat.