One of Aretha Franklin‘s best-known songs is “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” co-written by Carole King. So it’s only fitting that Carole would co-write a song for the soundtrack of Respect, the upcoming biopic about the late Queen of Soul.
The song is called “Here I Am (Singing My Way Home),” which Carole co-wrote with Jennifer Hudson — who is portraying Aretha Franklin in the film — and Jamie Hartman. Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas produced the track, which will be out on Friday. You can hear a snippet now on Jennifer Hudson’s Instagram.
“Music was always what brought Aretha back home, and this song is our tribute to her incredible journey,” J-Hud captioned the snippet. In a statement, Jennifer further says, “Music is such a living and breathing character in this film, as it was in Ms. Franklin’s life. The process of creating this song was like constructing the greatest tribute I could possibly offer to her spirit.”
“Our goal was to show that music was always the anchor for Ms. Franklin, in all that she did, and I hope this song illustrates the strength of her voice — both literally and figuratively,” adds J-Hud.
The soundtrack for Respect will be out on August 13, the same day the film opens in theaters nationwide. It also features “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” In a statement, Carole King says she’s “so pleased” to have “not one but two songs as part of the soundtrack.”
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