The arrival of Chaka Khan’s first studio album in 12 years, “Hello Happiness” (Diary Records/Island Records), poses some uncomfortable questions. Chief among them: Whose album is this, anyway?
Producer David “Switch” Taylor boasts an impressive pedigree working with cutting-edge artists such as M.I.A. and Major Lazer. Along with his label partner, Sarah Ruba Taylor, he puts Khan in a contemporary context, though not without some cost.
At 65, Khan remains a robust-yet-pliant singer and percussionist. After her tenure with Chicago funk titans Rufus in the ‘70s, she continued to expand her audience with feminist anthems such as “I’m Every Woman” and collaborations with Prince, Meshell Ndegeocello and Mary J. Blige. In 2016, she entered rehab, but re-emerged last year. She appeared at major festivals such as Pitchfork in Union Park and ushered in her Switch-Taylor collaboration with a hip-shaking single, “Sugar.”
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