Naughty

Chaka Khan returned to the studio in early 1980 to record her second solo effort, Naughty. Released on March 26 via Warner Bros. Records, the project marked a deliberate step away from the heavy funk of her band Rufus toward a more polished R&B and soul sound. Producer Arif Mardin guided the sessions again, but Khan took a larger creative role this time by co-writing four of the nine tracks.

The record balances high-energy dance numbers with intimate ballads. Khan's voice drives every track, shifting from fiery delivery on uptempo cuts to an aching tone on slower songs like "So Not to Worry." Former Rufus members Tony Maiden, Bobby Watson, and James "Diamond" Williams provided the rhythm section, grounding the new direction in their tight groove. The album closes with a remix of "I'm Every Woman," offering a familiar touch for fans who knew her from her debut.

Commercially, Naughty reached number 43 on the Billboard 200 and number 16 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. While it didn't match the heights of her earlier work, the lead single "Clouds" found success on dance floors, peaking at number 10 on the Dance Club Play chart. That same track earned Khan a Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 23rd Annual Awards in 1981. [편집]