There are few voices that need no introduction — and Chaka Khan‘s is one of them.
After more than five decades of making fans feel like “Every Woman,” the powerhouse behind some of music’s biggest grooves still has plenty of fire left in her.
“My proudest moment is being here during this time,” Khan says exclusively in her 25 Things You Don’t Know About Me interview from the latest issue of Us, on newsstands now. “Still singing, still creating, still loving what I love to do.”
Keep scrolling to catch another side of the “Queen of Funk,” as she opens up about making music with her goddaughter Sia, the monster-movie influence behind her latest album, Chakzilla, and why you won’t catch her singing karaoke anytime soon.
1. My go-to dish when it’s my turn to cook is angel hair pasta with a lot of garlic, basil and herb tomato sauce.
2. My favorite compliment is when somebody tells me a song helped them through something. That’s bigger than any compliment about my voice.
3. I love the old monster movies, like Godzilla. That’s what inspired my new album title, Chakzilla. But I’m a good monster that rebuilds.
4. What I remember from [recording] “I’m Every Woman” is that women are powerful, resilient, complicated, loving and fearless — sometimes all in the same morning. The song belongs to all of us.
5. I don’t read reviews. I know when I’ve done something good. And I know when I haven’t.
6. The best way to spend a Saturday is at home on my ranch with the people I love, watching TV, sleeping or being with horses.
7. I love to garden. I love to plant things and watch them grow.
8. My favorite part of being in the recording studio is that moment when something happens that nobody planned. That’s where the magic is, usually at 4 a.m.
9. I grew up idolizing Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin. But really my parents, there was always music around the house.
10. Go-to karaoke song? Now why would Chaka Khan be doing karaoke?
11. The Chaka Khan Foundation is doing amazing work. We support neurodivergent children, adults and communities that too often get overlooked. Everybody deserves to be seen, heard and given the opportunity to thrive. This work is very personal to my family and to me.
12. My best industry friends are Sia, who co-wrote Chakzilla with me [and] is my goddaughter, [and] Joni Mitchell. We always laugh about the things we used to do.
13. At 13, I was given the African name Chaka Adunne Aduffe Yemoja Hodarhi Karifi during a ceremony, which means woman of fire, water, nature and strength.
14. My most valuable possessions are my family, my grandbabies and great-grandbabies.
15. My dream collaborator is Clint Eastwood. He plays jazz piano.
16. A favorite comfort meal is a yummy dish with noodles.
17. Not many people know that I’m a drummer. I used to step in for a drum solo with Rufus.
18. My first car was a Morris Minor. It’s a classic British car.
19. My proudest moment is being here during this time. Still singing, still creating, still loving what I love to do.
20. Anything I collect I usually give away.
21. Plenty is left on my bucket list. And when I finish that list, I’ll make another one.
22. I decompress by doing as much of nothing as possible. Sleep. I’m very good at doing absolutely nothing.
23. My favorite book is The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran.
24. My most-used app is Waze when I need to go somewhere or the Weather [app] so I can see what God is up to.
25. I’m a great texter. I love emojis!
