Nearly forty-three years after the original release of the disco single I’m Every Woman, Chaka Khan, the original signer for the track, alongside Idina Menzel got together to re-record the classic hit, bringing modern life into one of the greatest tracks of the seventies.

Upon a complete listen, people familiar with the song will notice that other than a complete re-recording of the song, it’s nearly identical to the original track. It’s just as catchy, and just as groovy as it was back in the day. This song is an anthem, and even though it was composed almost half a century ago, it still feels relevant both musically and tonally. It’s a celebration of women, which is the reason for this new recording to exist. In hopes to raise awareness for international women’s day, the duo played and recorded this live rendition of the song, and you can definitely color me impressed. Chaka Khan sounds just as powerful as she did before, and she still manages to hit all the high notes at sixty-seven, singing the song in the original key and all. Idina also does a wonderful job completing the veteran signer, the two of them making an excellent rendition of this tune. The drums are more electronic this time around, but the classic disco strings, along with the funky bass lines and the horn punches are still there and louder than ever. Listening to this song forty years down the road reminds you why it was so widely covered over the years, most famously by Whitney Houston. Still, the soul of the original is all the most appealing, and the duo does a wonderful job revitalizing the track in 2021.

This wonderful surprise from the singers was recorded for an excellent cause, and rightfully so. In my mind, I’m Every Woman is the definitive woman anthem, and no song since then has ever managed to top it. With wonderful live production, everyone should remind themselves of the power of Chaka Khan with this newest recording of the disco powerhouse.

Author: Nicholas Gaudet

Music producer and writer from Dieppe, Canada.