Meshell Ndegeocello Taps Chaka Khan, Cat Power, More for Cover Album ‘Synonym’

Multi-genre musician Meshell Ndegeocello is back with a new covers collection. Synonym will feature duets with artists including soul legend Chaka Khan and avant-garde visionary Anohni, and it arrives on Oct. 2 via Blue Note. The lead single, “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” featuring Cynthia Erivo, is out now.

Synonym is bolstered by duets with artists across several genres. The record features collaborations with Cat Power, Brandi Carlile, Bill Callahan, Lianne La Havas, Moses Sumney, Destin Conrad, Willow, Robert Glasper, Nick Hakim, Madison Cunningham, Laura Lee (of Khruangbin), Chris Thile, Lizz Wright, Emily King, Evann Mcintosh, and Ink.

“This project is about classic songs that are known and loved,” Ndegeocello said in a statement. “The songs have diverse tones, representing various genres and intentional grooves. But the album is also about joy, selfhood, individual representation, and universal experience.” Indeed, the track list features covers by Sonny and Cher, the Human League, Roberta Flack, Bob Dylan, and more.

“This project is an expression of queer liberation as a synonym for liberation of all kinds. The queer community claimed me when others didn’t and for a long time that felt too far away from other communities to which I belong but now I recognize the ways in which it all overlaps,” the multi-instrumentalist continued. “I want to do more collective music. On this album, I wanted to show off as a producer. I love being on Blue Note Records, because with that, I still get to be a musician.”

“I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” is a cover of the Grammy Award-winning song by George Michael and Aretha Franklin. Ndegeocello’s rendition, featuring Tony Award winning singer/actress Cynthia Erivo, slows things down from the glitzy dance-oriented original. Erivo and Ndegeocello’s spellbinding vocalizations meld together with stunning quality as the track emulates the feeling of wrapping yourself in a fuzzy quilt on a winter night. Editor’s picks The 250 Greatest Albums of the 21st Century So Far The 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century

Synonym isn’t Ndegeocello’s first stab at a covers album, nor at penning a tribute to the artists she holds dear; 2018’s Ventriloquism featured covers of Eighties and Nineties R&B tracks, while 2024’s Red Hot & Ra: The Magic City saw her curating an ode to jazz legend Sun Ra alongside saxophonist Marshall Allen, Pink Siifu, and more.

Ndegeocello released The Omnichord Real Book in 2023, and later waxed poetic on luminary Black writers on No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin the following year. Both albums received the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Jazz Album. Trending Stories How Big Is Ella Langley Right Now? She’s About to Tie Whitney and Mariah Timothée Chalamet Gets ‘Starstruck’ Meeting Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders at World Cup Indiana Prosecutors Aghast at Phish Fans Who Showed Up to Concerts With Drugs A Photo of Nolan Wells at a Pool Party Went Viral. It’s Not From July 4

1. “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” with Cynthia Erivo2. “Don’t You Want Me” with Cat Power3. “Don’t Stop the Music” with Nick Hakim, Robert Glasper4. “Islands in the Stream” with Chaka Khan5. “It Ain’t Me Babe” with Madison Cunningham6. “Always on Time” with Laura Lee7. “Be Real Black for Me” with Emily King, Lizz Wright8. “Don’t Look Any Further” with Lianne La Havas9. The Closer I Get to You” with Destin Conrad, Moses Sumney10. “Golden Ring” with Brandi Carlile11. “I Got You Babe” with Anohni12. “Here We Come (Here He Comes)” with Evann McIntosh13. “Guilty” with Ink14. “Hunger Strike” with Willow15. “With God on Our Side” with Bill Callahan, Chris Thile