Lalah Hathaway will release her ninth studio album, “Made In Chicago,” on October 1 via Hathaway Entertainment/SRG-ILS in partnership with Virgin Records, timed to coincide with what would have been the 81st birthday of her father, soul singer Donny Hathaway, per ratedrnb.com.
The album is described as a tribute to Chicago, the city where the Grammy-winning singer grew up.
Its lead single, “47th Street,” featuring Chicago poet J. Ivy, was co-produced by Hathaway and Phil Beaudreau and centres on the street where her father’s family lived.
The track combines personal history with a broader narrative of the Great Migration, as Black families moved from the American South to Chicago. Ivy narrates this history, while Hathaway sings a tribute to her father and grandfather, Hosea, referencing the family’s roots on the street.
Speaking about the song, Hathaway said her grandfather, pronounced “Hozee,” and his parents were known for their hospitality, and that revisiting 47th Street in her mind reconnected her with the character of her hometown.
“Made In Chicago” follows Hathaway’s 2024 album Vantablack, which received a Grammy nomination and featured Michael McDonald, MC Lyte, Common, Willow, Rapsody and Gerald Albright. Discussing that project, Hathaway said it reflected a period of reassessing her identity while acknowledging the range of musical influences that shape her sound.
•Featured image: Lalah Hathaway/Lyndon French/ratedrnb.com