*Ledisi is paying homage to one of her greatest inspirations with the release of her new album, “For Dinah,” available now through Listen Back Entertainment and Candid Records.
Co-produced by Ledisi and Christian McBride, Rated R&B reports that the project revisits eight timeless selections from Dinah Washington’s repertoire, including “This Bitter Earth,” “You’ve Got What It Takes,” and “What A Difference A Day Made.” The album also features contributions from Gregory Porter and Paul Jackson, Jr.
Reflecting on her motivation for the project, Ledisi explained, “Before there was Aretha, there was Dinah. She deserves to be recognized in today’s music as well. So instead of asking me ‘Why Dinah?,’ you should be asking ‘Why not Dinah?’”
She introduced the album with the lead single “This Bitter Earth,” sharing, “This song is so reflective of any era, especially in such a chaotic time as this. People need music right now, and this song is a beautiful sentiment depicting a longing for life being filled with love. When I hear Dinah, I hear that longing. It’s a perfect way to announce my tribute to The Queen of The Blues.”
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“For Dinah” marks Ledisi’s second album of 2025, following “The Crown,” which arrived in April via Listen Back/BMG. That record emerged during a reflective period following her Super Bowl performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” alongside 125 New Orleans students. “When the Super Bowl came, I just felt like writing, and I didn’t have a plan. The Crown was not the plan. It was not supposed to be here,” she told Madame Noire.
Ledisi cited influences such as Fela Kuti, Nina Simone, Miriam Makeba, Billie Holiday, Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder, and Lauryn Hill as shaping her musical perspective.
“Songs that spoke of stories and protests and social change, those are really great references to go to,” she said.
Among her recent chart successes are “Love You Too,” which reached No. 14 on the Adult R&B Songs chart, and “BLKWMN,” a song she wrote to “celebrate Black women that have added to our world, politically, spiritually, culturally.”
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