The Queen of Soul’s signature sass stemmed from her having an acutely confident sense of self
Welcome to Diva Week, a magical 7-day period on the calendar where we celebrate the birthdays of Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Mariah Carey, and Lady Gaga. Every day we will be sharing stories on our favorite divas—and what makes them tick—so make sure to check back in with us daily.
When you look up “Aretha Franklin shady moments” on YouTube, a nine-minute long video will pop up. Consider it a Greatest Hits of some of the most biting, sassy, and unintentionally hilarious quips from the late Queen of Soul, zipped into a petite package, prime for pop culture consumption.Let’s be clear: Franklin’s lethal execution of shade—and our celebration of it—is by no means a way to overshadow the musical genius she brought to the world. From feminist anthems like “Respect” to swooning sermons like “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman,” the iconic singer’s shady prowess stemmed from her overall confident sense of self–and her unapologetic embrace of fabulosity. Who wouldn’t feel as if they could be as boldly direct and assertive as she was when draped in a floor-length fur coat and a quilted Chanel purse in tow?It helps that Aretha Franklin was acutely aware of who she was and how she maneuvered through the world. You can’t become one of the greatest vocalists of all time without really, truly, believing it for yourself. It’s why Franklin–more than once—found herself in on-stage riff-offs to remind not just the audience but those she shared the stage with that collaborating with the queen was never a game and you must always bestow respect.One of Franklin’s most memorable onstage moments was the closing number of VH1’s inaugural Divas Live! special where she performed “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman” and the gospel song “Testimony,” alongside Mariah Carey, Shania Twain, Gloria Estefan, Carole King, and Celine Dion. Celine wanted to remind the world that she was on that stage for a reason and began to playfully belt in front of the queen. Aretha quickly caught wind of the gesture, and reminded dear Celine that they were on her stage, singing her song—and did what Aretha did best in response. She sang. The moment was so memorable that years later, Mariah even wrote about in her memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey:“I couldn't believe that someone was trying to outshine Aretha Franklin in his honor while singing about Jesus. Maybe it was a big cultural gap, but it seemed crazy to me, and I didn't want to participate in that. As this happened, my body started involuntarily to retreat out of the Divas line and I started to join the support singers, most of whom I knew. It seemed like blasphemy to me, and I wanted to be out of reach if the lightning came.”Franklin’s signature sass expanded to her off-stage persona too, though. One of her most famous one-liners came courtesy of a now eternally-referenced Wall Street Journal interview where she was asked to share her opinion on the latest crop of pop stars. Adele? Good singer. Alicia Keys? Good songwriter. Whitney Houston? Gifted. Taylor Swift, however? Great gowns…beautiful gowns. What’s worth noting is that Franklin was clearly aiming to still be polite with what she had to say—especially since this was a televised interview. It wasn’t about being disrespectful or dismissive of Swift’s impact as much as it was her saying—like a beloved aunt or grandmother—that she simply isn’t her cup of musical tea. Thus, great gowns, beautiful gowns was born. The moments go on and on. There was the time she released an official press release statement when Beyoncé referred to Tina Turner as simply “The Queen” at the 2008 Grammy Awards, reminding the world that there was only one Queen of Soul. There was the 2014 Women of Soul celebration at The White House where she silently dismissed her rumored musical frenemy Patti Labelle, while strutting through the crowd ahead of a performance. She even not-so-subtly suggested she should have been a judge on American Idol during it’s heyday when Jennifer Lopez exited the series—hinting at the fact maybe it was time to let a real vocalist join the judging panel. I like to also think that her affinity for carrying around a camcorder—at events, red carpets, and just during a routine brunch—was a way of her always having receipts for any chaos that might have ensued around her. You’ll rarely catch an Aries like Aretha in any sort of messy situation they didn’t ask to be in.Witty banter aside, I often think of Aretha Franklin when I’m working to be a more confident—more assured—version of myself. She was someone who said what she said and truly meant it, while never feeling the need to banter for banter’s sake. She didn’t say things for the hope of creating a next-day headline—she simply just evoked that power by being her own, unfiltered self. If there’s one thing she proved throughout her five-decade long career, it’s that you can’t rise to the top by being anyone other than who you already are—sassy, saucy, smart, and all.
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