Aretha Franklin' Sweet Passion' Explained

 

Aretha Franklin started her breakthrough career at Atlantic Records in 1967, and it didn't take long for her to become a renowned star. There's no denying that, and her influence was repeatedly mentioned following her passing in 2018. For more than 50 years, Franklin built an astonishing, diversified canvas of disco, jazz, pop, funk, and soul music on classic albums.

Aretha Franklin was the 'Queen of Soul' and revolutionized the American music experience. Here's what you need to know about Aretha Franklin Sweet Passion album.

Who is Aretha Franklin?

Aretha Louise Franklin was a singer, composer, and pianist from the United States. She has been dubbed the "Queen of Soul" and has been ranked 9th in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Franklin is among the greatest pop stars from the latter years of the 20th century to the present, with over 75 million albums sold worldwide.

Releasing of Sweet Passion

Sweet Passion is Franklin's twenty-third studio album – released by Atlantic Records on May 19, 1977. Following the success of her 1976 soundtrack album Sparkle, Franklin collaborated with Motown producer Lamont Dozier to create Sweet Passion.

A Commercial Flop to Her List of Success

After the commercial success of Sparkle, Aretha experienced commercial disappointment with Sweet Passion. Sweet Passion isn't as innovative as Franklin's 1975 record You, which seemed to try a fusion of soul and subtle disco, and it has certain flaws.

Most of the album has a dull feel to it, which is worsened by the lack of variety in the compositions. Franklin is too quick to fall back on old vocal techniques, and the lyrics aren't very memorable, even by soul standards. The song has a lot of repetition but no clear chorus or verse. It isn't limited to the usual verse/chorus format found in many of her singles.

However, there were some good parts from Sweet Passion's lovely ballad "What I Did for Love," highlights from Franklin's soft approach. And the captivating chorus of her song "A Tender Touch" was a nice touch, and the final minutes of her track "Sweet Passion" confirmed that her vocal abilities haven't faded.

"Break It To Me Gently," the album's lead single, reached the top of the Billboard R&B chart but only managed to achieve and finally dropped to spot on Top 85 on the Hot 100 after two weeks.

 

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