{"id":68570,"date":"2026-07-15T16:21:27","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T16:21:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/15\/synonym-features-chaka-khan-more\/"},"modified":"2026-07-15T16:21:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T16:21:27","slug":"synonym-features-chaka-khan-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/15\/synonym-features-chaka-khan-more\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Synonym&#8217; Features Chaka Khan, More"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tMulti-genre musician <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-features\/meshell-ndegeocello-james-baldwin-jazz-interview-1235072690\/\">Meshell Ndegeocello<\/a> is back with a new covers collection. <em>Synonym<\/em> will feature duets with artists including soul legend Chaka Khan and avant-garde visionary Anohni, and it arrives on Oct. 2 via Blue Note. The lead single, \u201cI Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)\u201d featuring Cynthia Erivo, is out now.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t<em>Synonym <\/em>is bolstered by duets with artists across several genres. The record features collaborations with Cat Power, Brandi Carlile, Bill Callahan, Lianne La Havas, Moses Sumney, Destin Conrad, Willow, Robert Glasper, Nick Hakim, Madison Cunningham, Laura Lee (of Khruangbin), Chris Thile, Lizz Wright, Emily King, Evann Mcintosh, and Ink.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201cThis project is about classic songs that are known and loved,\u201d Ndegeocello said in a statement. \u201cThe songs have diverse tones, representing various genres and intentional grooves. But the album is also about joy, selfhood, individual representation, and universal experience.\u201d Indeed, the track list features covers by Sonny and Cher, the Human League, Roberta Flack, Bob Dylan, and more.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\">\n<p>\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/092EOY4ZXHo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201cThis project is an expression of queer liberation as a synonym for liberation of all kinds. The queer community claimed me when others didn\u2019t and for a long time that felt too far away from other communities to which I belong but now I recognize the ways in which it all overlaps,\u201d the multi-instrumentalist continued. \u201cI want to do more collective music. On this album, I wanted to show off as a producer. I love being on Blue Note Records, because with that, I still get to be a musician.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201cI Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)\u201d is a cover of the Grammy Award-winning song by George Michael and Aretha Franklin. Ndegeocello\u2019s rendition, featuring Tony Award winning singer\/actress Cynthia Erivo, slows things down from the glitzy dance-oriented original. Erivo and Ndegeocello\u2019s spellbinding vocalizations meld together with stunning quality as the track emulates the feeling of wrapping yourself in a fuzzy quilt on a winter night.<\/p>\n<section class=\"brands-most-popular \/\/ editors-pick-module lrv-u-margin-tb-2 lrv-u-border-a-2 u-box-shadow-5-5 lrv-u-padding-lr-1 a-span1 u-padding-b-1@tablet u-overflow-hidden\">\n<h2 id=\"section-heading\" class=\"c-heading larva  lrv-u-text-align-center u-border-color-black a-font-theme-primary-xxs lrv-u-color-black lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase u-letter-spacing-0063 lrv-u-padding-t-050 u-padding-b-0375@tablet lrv-u-padding-b-050@mobile-max lrv-u-border-b-2\">\n<p>\t\tEditor\u2019s picks<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t<em>Synonym<\/em> isn\u2019t Ndegeocello\u2019s first stab at a covers album, nor at penning a tribute to the artists she holds dear; 2018\u2019s <em>Ventriloquism <\/em>featured covers of Eighties and Nineties R&amp;B tracks, while 2024\u2019s <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-news\/meshell-ndegeocello-sun-ra-tribute-album-magic-city-1234967707\/\">Red Hot &amp; Ra: The Magic City<\/a><\/em> saw her curating an ode to jazz legend Sun Ra alongside saxophonist Marshall Allen, Pink Siifu, and more.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tNdegeocello released <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-news\/meshell-ndegeocello-new-album-the-omnichord-real-book-virgo-song-1234701566\/\">The Omnichord Real Book<\/a><\/em> in 2023, and later waxed poetic on luminary Black writers on <em><em>No More Water: The Gospel of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/t\/james-baldwin\/\">James Baldwin<\/a><\/em><\/em> the following year. Both albums received the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Jazz Album.<\/p>\n<section class=\"brands-most-popular \/\/ recirculation-modules trending-in-article lrv-u-margin-tb-2 lrv-u-border-a-2 u-box-shadow-5-5 lrv-u-padding-lr-1 a-span1 u-padding-b-1@tablet u-overflow-hidden\">\n<h2 id=\"section-heading\" class=\"c-heading larva  lrv-u-text-align-center u-border-color-black a-font-theme-primary-xxs lrv-u-color-black lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase u-letter-spacing-0063 lrv-u-padding-t-050 u-padding-b-0375@tablet lrv-u-padding-b-050@mobile-max lrv-u-border-b-2\">\n<p>\t\tTrending Stories<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t<strong><em>Synonym <\/em>Track List<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t1. \u201cI Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)\u201d with Cynthia Erivo<br \/>2. \u201cDon\u2019t You Want Me\u201d with Cat Power<br \/>3. \u201cDon\u2019t Stop the Music\u201d with Nick Hakim, Robert Glasper<br \/>4. \u201cIslands in the Stream\u201d with Chaka Khan<br \/>5. \u201cIt Ain\u2019t Me Babe\u201d with Madison Cunningham<br \/>6. \u201cAlways on Time\u201d with Laura Lee<br \/>7. \u201cBe Real Black for Me\u201d with Emily King, Lizz Wright<br \/>8. \u201cDon\u2019t Look Any Further\u201d with Lianne La Havas<br \/>9. The Closer I Get to You\u201d with Destin Conrad, Moses Sumney<br \/>10. \u201cGolden Ring\u201d with Brandi Carlile<br \/>11. \u201cI Got You Babe\u201d with Anohni<br \/>12. \u201cHere We Come (Here He Comes)\u201d with Evann McIntosh<br \/>13. \u201cGuilty\u201d with Ink<br \/>14. \u201cHunger Strike\u201d with Willow<br \/>15. \u201cWith God on Our Side\u201d with Bill Callahan, Chris Thile<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-news\/meshell-ndegeocello-duet-album-synonym-1235593967\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Multi-genre musician Meshell Ndegeocello is back with a new covers collection. Synonym will feature duets with artists including soul legend Chaka Khan and avant-garde&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":68571,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-68570","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pop","article","has-excerpt","has-avatar","has-author","has-date","has-comment-count","has-category-meta","has-read-more","thumbnail-"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68570","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68570"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68570\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68570"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68570"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68570"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}