Artist: Chaka Khan
Song: “Like Sugar”
Album: Title TBD (Release Date TBD)
Most seasoned acts tread on slippery slopes when relying on anemic trends of the current. Others wisely follow what they know and do best. Fortunately, the legendary Chaka Khan’s newest collaboration with former Major Lazer producer Switch is a fruitful one. Together, they cleverly sidestep formulaic clichés for something uniquely modern and deliciously nostalgic on the celebratory “Like Sugar,” the lead single lifted from Khan’s forthcoming album, slated for release later this year.
Sporting a bubbly mid-tempo groove that would make both Nile Rodgers and Kool & The Gang blush, “Like Sugar” isn’t exactly an overblown comeback show-off Khan has decided to churn out in her illustrious, now 45-year career. With its rubbery bassline, saucy percussion, slinky guitar licks, and minimalist clavinet tightly interlocked, it plays as a feisty hors d’oeuvre that flaunts Khan’s ever-distinctive funk chic we’ve come to know and love.
Lyrically, there may not be much to snuff at, but Khan’s elastic upper-register and the juicy, ‘70s-tinged grooves will make this a favorite on several summertime club playlists. The single’s newly-revealed music video, directed by Kim Gehrig, suits the song’s funk effervescence with its high-powered choreography and animated production.
According to a report from Universal Records, “Like Sugar” is the first single to be released on producer Switch’s new label, Diary Records. Diary Records will also release Khan’s new album, which will be her first since 2007’s two-time Grammy Award-winning, Funk This. A release date and title for the imminent album are expected to be unveiled soon.
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