Carnival of Soul

While fans were disappointed to see her go, many were nonetheless elated to see the Godmother of Soul enjoy herself by trying something new. Following her elimination from The Masked Singer, the soul and R&B icon spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about her experience on the show.  

The Godmother of Soul confessed that she was initially unsure about doing the show until her son convinced her to do it. LaBelle said that she was ultimately “happy” to step out of her comfort zone, as it’s one of those “things that people don’t expect a 70-year-old….or a 75-year-young woman to do.” She also shared her thoughts on the current state of the industry, agreeing that the industry has changed a lot in the last 10 to 20 years, down to even the songwriting.

“Sixty years performing, and I see changes all the time. I never know if we’re going to ever go back to when real music was real music,” she shared. “Because a lot of things today, if a [song’s] title is ‘Get It Now’ or something, you’re going to hear ‘get it now’ the whole record, no substance. So there’s still some growth. And I hope that it goes back to substance.”

THR noted that there are some talented vocalists who can sing but bury their voice under filters and processing and asked Patti why that is, to which she responded, “because some of them can’t really sing.”

“I’m not saying it to knock anyone because that’s their hustle,” she clarified. “And if you can get by with ‘Get It Now,’ and say it over and over and over, and the record sells, then you did your job. But I’m still looking for substance.”

Although, she did name a few of her current favorite singers, including John Legend, Fantasia, Jennifer Hudson and Adele.

“There are some singers out there who are singing songs, and I love them,” she said.

Do you agree with Patti?