Chaka Khan - What Cha’ Gonna Do for Me

What Cha' Gonna Do for Me: The Sophistication of a Reissue Album

Certified Gold by the RIAA on July 1st of that same year, the album reached No. 3 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 200.

A Reissue Album Produced by Arif Mardin

The album features 11 tracks with a total runtime of 42 minutes and 09 seconds. The production continues the thread from the previous album, Naughty (1980), while marking a stylistic turn toward a more sophisticated R&B sound.

We Can Work It Out: The Opening Track That Sets the Stage for a Mature Sound

On this track, Chaka Khan's voice declaims the standard with unshakable authority, transforming a pop anthem from the 1960s into a mature funk declaration. Arif Mardin's production here deploys rhythmic density that immediately anchors the album in the aesthetic of early-80s R&B. The brass arrangements and funky bass lines create a striking contrast with the original melody, illustrating how Chaka Khan reinvents the musical canon without betraying her legacy. This opening track establishes from the very first second a tension between nostalgia and modernity that will permeate the entire album.

What Cha' Gonna Do for Me: The Title Track, the Album's Backbone

At the heart of the project is the eponymous track What Cha' Gonna Do for Me, which gives its name to the album. This song embodies the very philosophy of the record: an exploration of love relationships through a sophisticated R&B lens. Arif Mardin's production on this track displays particular finesse, where every instrument seems placed with surgical precision. The track functions as a pivot between the covers and original songs that punctuate the tracklist. It confirms that Chaka Khan does not merely cover standards: she imbues them with her own identity, transforming each interpretation into a new creation.

I Know You, I Live You: vocal intimacy at the heart of the album

Track 3, I Know You, I Live You, offers an intimate counterpoint to the power of the preceding tracks. On this song, Chaka Khan's voice unfolds in an intimacy rarely heard on her previous albums.

Track four is also available as a remastered version from 2003, attesting to the album's longevity in fan collections. This reissue shows that the record managed to retain its relevance long after its initial release, becoming a reference point for classic R&B enthusiasts. Chaka Khan's voice leaves her mark on this track, transforming it into a modern love declaration while respecting the spirit of the original standard. The production adopts a more intimate tone here, contrasting with the energy of the preceding tracks and sealing the narrative arc opened by the first few songs.

Technical Details

- Release: 1981 - Label: Warner Bros. Records - Tracks: 11 (42 min 09 s) - Opening / Closing: We Can Work It Out / I Know You, I Live You - Reprise