Kelly Clarkson & Ariana Grande Duetted Aretha Franklin's "Respect," and *Wow*
Oh! And they got a little help from their fellow Season 21 The Voice Coaches, John Legend and Blake Shelton.
We have a confession: Coaches combining their talents into one unforgettable performance is one of our favorite parts of The Voice. What makes things even better is when they elevate a classic song in the process, giving fans and viewers a moment to remember forever.
That's exactly what happened during a particularly memorable Season 21 episode. Back in 2021, Kelly Clarkson and Ariana Grande joined forces to perform a version of "Respect" by Aretha Franklin that fans worldwide are still talking about nearly three years later. We'll be frank here: The ladies killed it.
Watch the unreal, goosebump-raising duet here.
Franklin's version of "Respect" is certainly high-energy, but the addition of Clarkson's and Grande's vocals to the arrangement gives the song an electricity that takes it to the next level. John Legend and Blake Shelton joined Grande and Clarkson at the end of the song, their four voices adequately putting respect on Franklin's name. Pun intended.
Aretha Franklin's "Respect" was a chart-topping hit
"Respect" was released as part of Franklin's 11th studio album, I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You, in 1967. By summer, the track had reached #1 on Billboard's pop charts, paving the way for Franklin to be unofficially crowned "Queen of Soul" by fans and critics alike.
RELATED: Kelly Clarkson Did Aretha Franklin Proud with This Powerful "Ain't No Way" Cover
You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who prefers the Otis Redding version to the song that made Aretha Franklin into a household name — Franklin is that darn good, and looking back at that memorable Season 21 performance on The Voice, Clarkson and Grande sure made Franklin proud.
