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soul

Aretha Franklin’s Young, Gifted & Black is a Masterpiece

January 24, 2017

Young, Gifted & Black: The Queen On The Throne 45 years ago Aretha Franklin was at her peak. 3 major events mark this era: First, her show stopping 1971 performances at the Fillmore West in San Francisco helped expose her to a brand new audience. Second, her game-changing 1972 gospel album Amazing Grace redefined the gospel genre, and helped bring

Music·Then

Is Aretha Franklin’s “Ain’t No Way” An Undercover LGBT Anthem?

Introduction Before I get started on “Ain’t No Way”, I want to address a few things (in case this crosses Miss Franklin’s eyes). The intention of this piece is not gossip. No malice is intended in these words. I’m simply working off information I’ve learned, and a theory I came up with as

The Reigning Queen of Hip-Hop/Soul: Mary J. Blige

The Queen of Hip-Hop/Soul While Hip-Hop saw during the 90s a handful

25 Reasons Why Mariah Carey’s Emotions Still Slays at 25

September 17, 1991. At 21 years old, Mariah Carey, coming off the

Playlist: 97 Minutes of Christmas, Vol. 3

December 12, 2021

Music·Playlists

This Christmas season, the staff of THE 97 will be sharing their favorite holiday songs via our new 97 Minutes of Christmas Playlist series. Each playlist contains 1 hour and 37~ minutes of Christmas jams personally curated by the staff writer. VOLUME 3, CURATED BY JORDAN To me, Christmas is all

ADELE: All Her Singles, Ranked From Great to Greatest

October 27, 2021

Featured·Music·Playlists

Like Whitney, Mariah, and Céline, Adele is a one-name artist, who needs no shock value or theatrics to entertain, but simply a microphone and a stage. With over 120 million records sold worldwide, off of three albums released across a matter of 13 years, Adele has already become one of

Aretha Franklin’s ‘Amazing Grace’: Her Greatest Vocal Performance

June 1, 2017

Featured·For the Nostalgia·In Depth·Music·Then

Have you ever heard Aretha Franklin’s Amazing Grace? If the answer is ‘no’, start listening, and read on. Find an adjective stronger than “important”. Whatever the word, it doesn’t do Aretha Franklin’s Amazing Grace album justice. This album is one of the most essential bodies of work in music. Not only

Playlist: Aretha Franklin’s Deep Cuts

March 25, 2017

Featured·Music·Now·Playlists

Aretha Franklin: The Queen Turns 75 In celebration of Aretha Franklin’s 75th birthday, I dug into her catalog for some deep cuts. Everyone knows “Respect“, “Think”, and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”, but what about the songs that didn’t receive single treatment/attention? Let me take you back… Digesting Aretha

Top 5: Melanie Fiona’s “The MF Life”

March 20, 2017

Music

From the moment I heard Melanie Fiona’s Zombies-sampling debut single “Give It To Me Right“, I became hooked. Between the impeccable sample use of “Time Of The Season” and her incredible voice which combines Brandy’s timbre with the soulfulness of a young Aretha Franklin, she mesmerized me. Then I heard her follow-up

Playlist: Mama Patti Essentials

March 15, 2017

Music·Playlists

One cannot be a fan of R&B music and not be familiar with Patti LaBelle. Her iconic voice, her songs and her legendary live performances have defined the history of this genre. It’s simply not acceptable to be unaware of Queen Patti’s material. Miss Patti started her career in the

Aretha Franklin’s “Respect”: Still T-C-B After 50 Years

February 14, 2017

Featured·In Depth·Music·Then

24-year old Aretha Franklin walked into Atlantic Recording Studios on February 14, 1967. In her pocket, she held a new arrangement of Otis Redding’s 1965 hit “Respect”. 50 years later, Aretha Franklin’s cover of “Respect” is not only her signature song, but the song of a movement and generation. Let me

Album Review: “The Definition of…” Fantasia

August 5, 2016

Music·Now·Reviews

For the past few years when Fantasia has been in the process of creating a new album, she has expressed the desire to explore a sound she’s described as “Rock/Soul.” She’s done so for her last album, Side Effects of You, and she’s done for her newest one. Whether she

45 Years Later: Aretha Franklin’s Live At Fillmore West

May 19, 2016

In Depth·Music·Then

“What she did was make history.” That’s what Billy Preston had to say about Aretha Franklin’s 3-night stint at San Francisco’s Fillmore West in March of 1971. In the months that followed, the shows were edited down to fit an LP, and released 45 years ago on May 19, 1971.

Journey to Freedom, Week 5: Time

September 18, 2014

Featured·Music·Playlists

1. “Time” by Mary J. Blige is essentially about the flaws of the world and how counterproductively people use their time. Mary expresses people for their judgmental nature. She also touches on the issues of jealousy, murder, and madness. She sings about how “people nowadays so shady” and “always wanna

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soul

Aretha Franklin’s Young, Gifted & Black is a Masterpiece

Is Aretha Franklin’s “Ain’t No Way” An Undercover LGBT Anthem?

The Reigning Queen of Hip-Hop/Soul: Mary J. Blige

25 Reasons Why Mariah Carey’s Emotions Still Slays at 25

Playlist: 97 Minutes of Christmas, Vol. 3

ADELE: All Her Singles, Ranked From Great to Greatest

Aretha Franklin’s ‘Amazing Grace’: Her Greatest Vocal Performance

Playlist: Aretha Franklin’s Deep Cuts

Top 5: Melanie Fiona’s “The MF Life”

Playlist: Mama Patti Essentials

Aretha Franklin’s “Respect”: Still T-C-B After 50 Years

Album Review: “The Definition of…” Fantasia

45 Years Later: Aretha Franklin’s Live At Fillmore West

Journey to Freedom, Week 5: Time

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Review: “Talk to Me Nice” by Tinashe

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Review: “Whine” by Mýa & Bounty Killer

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