Aretha Franklin

What can you say about the undisputed Queen of Soul that hasn’t already been set down as an absolute truth? That she is the very personification of gospel-born soul spirit? That her voice, heavenly yet elemental, fierce yet free, is a kind of divine instrument that few can hope to come close to? That she claims every song she sings as her very own? No, when it comes to Aretha Franklin, it’s best to let the music do the talking, from her landmark signature song of empowerment, “Respect,” to the sizzling slow-jam seduction of “Something He Can Feel,” to the 21st-century inspirational “Never Gonna Break My Faith,” with Franklin’s musical goddaughter Mary J. Blige and the Boys Choir of Harlem.

There’s much more essential Aretha Franklin in Next Steps.

On the one hand, we have “The Lord’s Prayer,” a live vocalization of the spiritual person’s daily bread; on the other, there’s “Dr. Feelgood (Love Is a Serious Business),” a sensual song of more earthly devotion. The subject matter may not quite match up, but when each is sung, sealed, and delivered by Lady Soul, it becomes a heart-stopping sonic sermon in its own dazzling right. That’s because, in the hands and heart of Sister ’Re, everything from her spine-tingling take on Sam Cooke’s Civil Rights anthem “A Change Is Gonna Come” to her aptly titled 2003 delight “Wonderful” is transformed by a talent, untouchable by time and trend, that is as stunningly singular as it universally adored.

The Queen’s reign continues, in Deep Cuts.

Listen to “You’ll Lose a Good Thing” from Aretha Franklin’s early days at Columbia. The voice is brilliant, the genius for remaking covers in her own image already firmly in place. Then check out “Save Me,” from her 1967 Atlantic debut — the union of Sister ’Re, the great Muscle Shoals Rhythm section, and famed producer Jerry Wexler is one of music’s most legendary match-ups, a once-in-a-lifetime convergence that put Franklin firmly on the path to superstardom. More than 40 years later, we bring you the Franklin tracks that haven’t always gotten the attention they deserve, from a knockout “Let It Be” that rivals the original, to a live Sunday-service rendition of the gospel soul-stirrer “Give Yourself to Jesus.”

Raised in her father’s Detroit church, where she sang in the Sunday choir, Aretha Franklin came to music of the soul honestly and early. She made her first gospel recording at age 14, but by her mid-twenties she had embraced the secular world and, in return, was crowned the Queen of Soul. Recording indelible tracks that made the most of her soaring vocal power, and that demanded love and respect while still displaying a softer side, Franklin — and signature songs like “Chain of Fools,” “Rock Steady,” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman” — not only embodied the surging popularity of ’60s soul music, but she also symbolized the newfound confidence and pride of African-Americans. Now, from legendary hits (“I Say a Little Prayer,” “Freeway of Love”), to uplifting inspirationals (a live “How I Got Over”), our Aretha Franklin Essentials brings you the very best of a true American icon.