We all know Aretha Franklin is one of R&B’s greatest voices and one of her biggest contributions to classic R&B is the song, “(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman.”
Aside from reminding me of JubJub every time I hear it, “Natural Woman” did very well. It reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and though it was written by Carole King, Franklin’s powerful and recognizable voice made this song her own. The strings and piano are underwhelming but Franklin’s voice soars during the chorus.
Mary J. Blige, who is considered a powerful voice for the current generation, tried to prove her worth with a cover of Franklin and King’s “Natural Woman.”
This version is another example of a boring cover that does nothing to make it the artist’s own. I appreciate Blige’s voice, which carries the song just like Franklin’s does. It’s not a bad cover, it just doesn’t impress me.
The strings are very similar and the drum beat is mid-tempo, just like Franklin’s version. Blige’s voice inflections are the biggest difference, so I guess that makes it her own. That, alone, doesn’t carry the song though since it doesn’t happen very often.
[Click the song titles to view/hear “(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman”]