Eurythmics Reaction Sisters Are Doin It For Themselves ARETHA FRANKLIN ON THE TRACK! Empress Reacts 

Aretha is the Queen. Her voice xx Annie Lennox is my Scottish sister. What a beautiful sound. Sing it!

✨✊✨Such an ANTHEM! It’ll always be one of the most standout and direct feminist songs in history. And those two magnificent voices together! Some interesting facts about this one. Annie wrote it along with Dave developing the music with her. They’d offered it to Tina Turner first but she thought it might be too overtly feminist! Aretha wanted to do it so the Eurythmics flew across the pond to Detroit to record with her. Annie found Aretha shy and difficult to connect with, and Aretha was a bit concerned that Annie might be a lesbian, and the song somehow anti-men. I’ve always found that a bit disappointing, that this magnificently strong queen of soul held some old fashioned hang ups about that subject. I always found it curious that this video (released in 1985) is aesthetically so similar to the video for I Knew You Were Waiting (released in 1987), with the lighting and the screen behind showing archival footage (feminist history in the former and, in the latter, classic pop duos from across time). The two pop icons, proud in front of the projected histories, feeling like a connection of the legendary queen of soul and the newer star, both with strong white soul voices. De ja duet! The bridge “we ain’t makin’ stories / We ain’t layin’ plans / Don’t you know that a man still loves a woman / And a woman still loves a man” is on one hand a reassurance to men to not feel threatened by female empowerment, positioning the song as an equality anthem, rather than risking the typical “man-hater” backlash so many feminists have endured… But on the other hand it’s not only a bit sad that a song can’t be all about female empowerment and not reassure the patriarchy they don’t have to give up all their own power for equanimity to flourish. Why is it always the disempowered who have to reassure the people in power? We experience this as LGBTQ people too, making sure straight people don’t feel we’re threatening their marriage rights with our own, and of course it’s dismally true in race politics, with oppressed races having to dim their shine to avoid threatening the subtle or overt supremacist views of white people… Additionally, that line in the song alienated gay women, making them feel this anthem excluded them from the feminist fight, which is hugely unfair given how central and vocal lesbians have always been in that battle. So not a perfect anthem, but a very important one anyway, in getting feminism onto the radio and making even straight men sing along to a new catch-cry for the female cause 👑👑

Aretha was serving DIVA in this video. I love that Aretha, Diana, Tina and Dionne all had huge hits in the 80s despite being from the 60s. It was such a good decade for music bc older icons were still winning and sharing the charts with Madonna, Whitney and Janet. Feel like it changed in the 90s to an extent. Radio became far more ageist and Cher and Madonna were the rare artists to get #1 songs after 40 in the 90s/00s.

Annie with her power clothes on is everything.

Still love this song and would've eventually made it one of my picks. As a little boy I loved seeing these strong women standing up to the patriarchy. I felt a kinship. There's still so much great Eurythmics and Annie Lennox music to give you.

Aretha had lots of hits in the 80s, starting with Blues Brothers movie soundtrack (Freedom), #1 hit (Get it Right), and many others (Freeway of Love, Who’s Zoomin Who, Jimmy Lee, Jumpin Jack Flash) and duet with George Michael, as well as this duet.

A little bit of trivia: Annie originally wanted Tina Turner on this track, but for whatever reason, Tina couldn’t/didn’t want to do it and then they offered it to Aretha. This was right after Tina had her huge comeback with Private Dancer so she was all the rage in 1985.

As a teenager in the 80s, I'm grateful that Aretha had some big hits during that time because it made me curious about her and I investigated her back catalog a lot sooner than I probably would have otherwise.

Aretha had another popish hit Freeway of Love. Aretha moved through different genres effortlessly. Check her doing opera ( Nessun Dorma) at the Grammys stepping in for Pavarotti at the last minute ( It's a must see moment).

Empress!! You're the shit girl! I love your energy on your reaction videos! You remind me of all the reasons why I love these songs!!

That you recognized Angie Franklin gave me LIFE!!!

Your voice is awesome, great song stunning

Annie definitely holding her own against Aretha which is no mean feat 🙌🏼

Talent..

This song was on a great Eurythmics album which was soul inspired. Try the song There Must Be An Angel where Stevie Wonder plays the harmonica. Would I Lie To You is another hit single from it with a bluesy soul rock vibe.

Friendship!!!

LOL, my parents named me after Angela Davis!✊🏾😇This is definitely the ultimate female empowerment song with the ultimate female power Soul vocals!💯The 80s women were coming into their own gangbusters!🥲

Your adorable... love your expressions ❤️ keep going

Thanks for reacting to my pick Empress! I just knew I had to share this classic 80s anthem of EMPOWERMENT by two strong females that I am forever inspired by- Aretha & Annie. I love how the song ends with Aretha bluntly stating "thank you, I'll get it myself"... def a mike drop moment!

This song was the third single of the Eurythmics album ''Be Yourself Tonight''. Like ''Touch'', this album have so many successful and popular songs,, with this, ''There Must Be An Angel'' and Who I Lied to You?'' was three worldwide hits. I remember when my mom played so much this album and this song was fire, with her organic sound and her catchy beat. The last single of the album, the ballad ''It's Alright'' was a moderate success worldwide and a minor hit in US.

yes!!! enjoyed this reaction!! thank you Empress!!

Another Night and who‘s zoomin Who are two great songs by Aretha from the 80‘s

Sisters doin it for themselves. Same ladies who are living and dying alone.

I LOVE when Woman FLY

Annie is letting Aretha shine

You can’t help but move to this song there’s many parties I’ve gone wild to it 😂

I love this song. Was actually my first pick before Islands in the Stream.

I'm not even a Woman and I absolutely Love it. It gives that Embrace of Womanhood & Women wanting their Freedoms to Be what They want to Be. I don't Agree with Her Political Party. But when We had the Governor Race here in Georgia, I've seen where a Political Candidate by the Name of Stacey Abrams had used this Song as She Ran for the Democrat Governor Race of Georgia in 2019 when She Interviewed with Oprah.

Kylie and Dannii sang this on a talent show in early 80s not as good as the original but still a lot of fun

Didn’t Madonna do a cover of this with Sandra Bernhardt??

3+ decades later and still no “equal pay”.