Where is the new album from Chaka Khan, called iKhan, that was promised this year? Her website was really pushing it a year ago and she was making the comeback rounds with the "It's Not Over" single. Then... nothing. What happened???

The internet shat all over "It's Not Over" and her recent Wendy Williams performances. Maybe Chaka is uninterested in sharing anymore new music with the fickle record buying illegal-downloading public. There is no label forcing her to record and put out music every year so I would assume she's doing exactly what she wants. NADA.

Chaka announced earlier this year that the Ikhan project had been scrapped and that they were going back to the drawing board. She debuted a couple of songs earlier this year during a live chat that have yet to surface for purchase. One of the board members over at her site stated a few days ago during a recent appearance, Chaka claimed that she would have two singles out by the end of this year (yeah, right). With Chaka, I've learned over the years to believe it when I see it. She says she has new management. Hopefully, they will inspire (force) her to have a new product out on the market next year and stop with all of the endless broken promises of projects that never come to pass.

When artists are at the stature of a Chaka, where many of the people who come to see you perform aren't interested in hearing new tracks and where touring is where all the big money is, I feel like they often face a crisis of wanting to create, and not wanting that new creation to fall on deaf ears. They want people to hear who they are today, but the radio stations and the majority of the public is only half interested. She'll always have a hardcore audience, she doesnt need a top 20 hit anymore or to hear new works on the radio. She should be making and releasing music that she likes and relates to first and foremost and not try to make sounds that she thinks mainstream top 40 and R&B stations want to hear.

I love Chaka but she just says shit and never follows through. She's only recorded 2 albums in the past decade...and it's been 7 years since the last one. I miss my girl!

lezama said:

When artists are at the stature of a Chaka, where many of the people who come to see you perform aren't interested in hearing new tracks and where touring is where all the big money is, I feel like they often face a crisis of wanting to create, and not wanting that new creation to fall on deaf ears. They want people to hear who they are today, but the radio stations and the majority of the public is only half interested. She'll always have a hardcore audience, she doesnt need a top 20 hit anymore or to hear new works on the radio. She should be making and releasing music that she likes and relates to first and foremost and not try to make sounds that she thinks mainstream top 40 and R&B stations want to hear.

I wish there was a record label strictly for old school artists,where they could release new albums without the pressure of having to sell alot of copies,compete with the younger artists and top the charts.Actually,that's what I thought Burgundy Records (the last label that Chaka was signed to) was for.It seems that it's no longer around.I guess the only other option is for Chaka to release music independently,but that's not an easy thing to do.Even Prince wasn't able to successfully do that.

lezama said:

When artists are at the stature of a Chaka, where many of the people who come to see you perform aren't interested in hearing new tracks and where touring is where all the big money is, I feel like they often face a crisis of wanting to create, and not wanting that new creation to fall on deaf ears. They want people to hear who they are today, but the radio stations and the majority of the public is only half interested. She'll always have a hardcore audience, she doesnt need a top 20 hit anymore or to hear new works on the radio. She should be making and releasing music that she likes and relates to first and foremost and not try to make sounds that she thinks mainstream top 40 and R&B stations want to hear.

Wow - if I replace the female pronouns here with the male ones... it sounds like someone else we know. And, I think you raise some valid points. With a single titled "It's Not Over," as a Chaka fan, you genuinely want to believe it however.

[Edited 11/17/14 20:18pm]

SoulAlive said:

I wish there was a record label strictly for old school artists, where they could release new albums without the pressure of having to sell alot of copies, compete with the younger artists and top the charts.

There's labels for that like Shanachie, American Recordings, Koch, & Concord or niche ones like Alligator, Daptone and Malaco. But these labels don't have the reach of the big labels, except maybe Concord. Concord has other labels under it like Fantasy & Stax.

A few years ago,Chaka mentioned that she was actually working on several new albums....a rock album,a jazz album,and an R&B album (if I remember correctly).As I said in another thread,when artists mention several projects that they're working on,usually only one of them ever gets released.I'd settle for just one great album from Chaka.I hope she can find a way to release something.

SoulAlive said:

A few years ago,Chaka mentioned that she was actually working on several new albums....a rock album,a jazz album,and an R&B album (if I remember correctly).As I said in another thread,when artists mention several projects that they're working on,usually only one of them ever gets released.I'd settle for just one great album from Chaka.I hope she can find a way to release something.

Back in the mid-90's, she announced she was working on a holiday CD. It's 2014 and I'm still waiting on that sucker!

I think Chaka wants to release an album. She's recorded enough unreleased material over the past decade to probably release 3 or 4 albums. there are probably labels who would be happy to have her but are not willing to give her the financially lucrative deal she's looking for. So I'm not expecting much of anything soon. Really a shame that so many of our veteran artists have albums ready to go that remain in limbo. Anita Baker and Melba Moore's albums have been delayed for 2 years now.

^^Oh yeah,Anita Baker has been talking about a new album for awhile now! She even released the first single a few years ago,but the album never materialized.

SoulAlive said:

lezama said:

When artists are at the stature of a Chaka, where many of the people who come to see you perform aren't interested in hearing new tracks and where touring is where all the big money is, I feel like they often face a crisis of wanting to create, and not wanting that new creation to fall on deaf ears. They want people to hear who they are today, but the radio stations and the majority of the public is only half interested. She'll always have a hardcore audience, she doesnt need a top 20 hit anymore or to hear new works on the radio. She should be making and releasing music that she likes and relates to first and foremost and not try to make sounds that she thinks mainstream top 40 and R&B stations want to hear.

Her situation sounds like a song by the Barenaked Ladies: https://www.youtube.com/w...e3XRqTHGjc

TD3 said:

SoulAlive said:

^^Oh yeah, Anita Baker has been talking about a new album for awhile now! She even released the first single a few years ago,but the album never materialized.

Just pull out some of your old Baker it all sounds the same.

true