Put your “butts and body parts” away! Chaka Khan is not impressed!

In a new interview with the “Table Manners” podcast, the 73-year-old legend took aim at what she sees as a growing reliance on image, choreography, and body-forward spectacle in modern pop music, saying some artists are using “butts and body parts” to hide “what they don’t have.”

Khan argued that “the game has changed” and that too many performers are trying to “do any and every damn thing on stage and trying to sing, too.” Her point was not about youth or ambition so much as standards. In her view, the performance can no longer overpower the vocal. 

She was even more candid when describing the artists she thinks are overcompensating, saying the ones doing the “most physicalities” are usually trying to make up for a lack of talent. That criticism lands harder because it comes from someone whose reputation was built on live vocals and musicality first, not attention-grabbing era packaging. 

At the same time, Khan made clear she was not throwing shade at everybody making music today. She reserved warm praise for Sia, who is her goddaughter and collaborator, calling her a gifted writer and saying she was amazed by how naturally Sia can write for her. Khan drew a line between artists she feels are grounded in craft and those she believes lean too heavily on visuals to carry the moment. 

The comments tap into an old argument in music — one that pops up whenever a legendary performer looks at a younger generation and wonders whether the singing still matters most. Khan did not name names, but the message was unmistakable. For her, style is not supposed to replace substance. 

And honestly, that is very Chaka. The “I’m Every Woman” singer has always been one of those rare artists whose opinion carries weight because the work speaks for itself. In this case, she seems to be reminding everybody that the performance still has to start with talent.