Chaka Khan says popstars shaking ‘butts and stuff’ are ‘compensating’ for weak vocals
Chaka Khan (Image: Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Chaka Khan has criticised modern female popstars for “doing any and every damn thing on stage” while also trying to sing, suggesting some are “compensating” with hyper-physical performances for what they “don’t have” vocally.
Appearing on Jessie Ware’s Table Manners, the 73-year-old said: “The game has changed.
“All bets are off; these women are doing any and every damn thing on stage and trying to sing, too.”
Khan went on to argue that the most intense stage moves can be a cover for weaker vocals. “The ones who are doing the most physicalities with their butts and stuff, and their body parts, are the ones that usually are compensating for what they don’t have…” she said.
She contrasted that with her own approach to performing: “I came to sing, and I came to really do a good job, and that’s hard work.”
Chaka Khan’s take on pop performance
Khan’s comments came during a wider conversation with Ware about how expectations of pop stardom have shifted, with spectacle and choreography often taking centre stage.
The singer did not point to any one performer during the chat, keeping her critique broad and focused on what she sees as a change in priorities on stage.
Chaka Khan, Sia and Prince
Khan also shared a lighter detail about her relationship with Sia, saying the Australian songwriter is her goddaughter and that the connection began when Sia asked her to take on the role herself. Asked by Ware how it happened, Khan replied: “She asked me!” Khan also said Sia wrote her 2024 song Immortal Queen. Sia has recently been in the headlines after filing for divorce from her husband.
Later, Khan reflected on her friendship with Prince, describing him as “a true gentleman” who “took care of me in many ways”, and saying he was “really there for me like a friend, a big brother or a daddy sometimes.”
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