Aretha Franklin's Respect: The Journey Of A Black Woman

Music travels in time by making a lasting impression, changing the world we live in, and reflecting on our past. Immediately, one is transported back in time when listening to, Respect, by Aretha Franklin, a song that was released over 48 years ago, in 1967. The song was featured on Franklin’s, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, Album. I first encountered this song through my father’s love of music. Hearing the lyrics I could not help but feel more powerful as a female. The song made me think about the struggle Aretha must have gone through as a black woman in a time when there were not many black female artists, and women were not treated as equals. This reminded me of the sacrifices made by women such as Aretha and put into perspective how far women have come. During, Respect, Aretha’s voice expresses power, which elevates the impact of the song and coordinates with the strong rhythmic composition.

Some critics say this is the moment Aretha was established as, “The Queen of Soul.” Prior to the songs release, African-Americans were going through many societal changes such as creating the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950’s- 1960’s. Due to the timing of the song’s release Respect became much more than a catchy R&B tune, it developed into a powerful political statement, for African-Americans. As referenced in, The Sound Of Soul, published in 1969 music critic, Phyl Garland referred to the song as, “the new black national anthem.” In the same manner women were also struggling to receive equal rights. After the release of Respect, females became empowered to change the way many of them were viewed by society. This song is considered a landmark for the feminist movement, some critics have even called the song one of the best songs of the R&B