Music

Aretha Franklin revealed what she thought of Beyoncé as a feminist. Franklin also released a disco version of a Destiny’s Child song.

Published on January 3, 2024

While they represent different generations of music, Aretha Franklin and Beyoncé warrant comparison because of their incredible vocal talents and charisma. Franklin revealed what she thought of the “Irreplaceable” singer. She also put her own spin on a Destiny’s Child song.

Why Aretha Franklin compared Beyoncé to Michael Jackson

During a 2014 interview with Rolling Stone, the Queen of Soul revealed her thoughts on Queen B. “We have a lot of respect for each other,” Franklin said. “I love the beat of ‘Bootylicious.’ And ‘I’m a Survivor.'”

Franklin compared Beyoncé to another pop idol. “Beyoncé is a very hard-working woman,” she said. “Astrologically, for whatever it’s worth, she’s a Virgo — like Michael Jackson, a hard worker. She’s very pleasant. She’s complimentary to other artists.”

Franklin also praised Beyoncé for her commitment to political issues. “I think she just has a very positive message,” she said. “I mean, I went to see her perform and I came out of there feeling uplifted. And Beyoncé is very outspoken on feminist issues. So I think that’s good. That could be brought to the forefront more.”

The “Respect” singer explained her attitude towards feminism. “If women are going to do the same job, why not give equal pay?” she said. “Because that job is harder for a woman than a man sometimes. We deserve parity, and maybe even a little more. Especially if it’s physically taxing, we should get a little more money, if you have enough heart to take it on.”

Beyoncé inspired 1 of the Queen of Soul’s later albums

Franklin gave Beyoncé the ultimate compliment by partially covering “Survivor” on her album Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics. The track “I Will Survive (The Aretha Version)” is primarily a cover of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” but it incorporated the chorus of “Survivor” in its bridge. The two songs complement each other so well it’s surprising no other artist had done this before.

The track listing of Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics is a rundown of the great female singers of the past 60 years. The record includes renditions of songs by Etta James, Adele, The Supremes, Gladys Knight, and others. Franklin gives several of these tracks a disco twist.

How Aretha Franklin’s cover of ‘Survivor’ performed

The Destiny’s Child version of “Survivor” became a massive success. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, remaining on the chart for 20 weeks. The track appeared on the record of the same title. Survivor climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for two weeks, becoming a hit for 46 weeks altogether.

“I Will Survive (The Aretha Version)” was never a single and it did not impact the Billboard Hot 100. The track appeared on the album Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics, which peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 and remained on there for six weeks. While Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics was not a juggernaut, it proved that people were still listening to the Queen of Soul decades into her career.

Franklin and Beyoncé had their musical differences, but they respected each other’s talent.

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