Key Takeaways
- Meshell Ndegeocello and Lianne La Havas give Dennis Edwards and Siedah Garrett’s 1984 Motown duet “Don’t Look Any Further” a modern funk overhaul, with Elena Pinderhughes adding flute.
- The cover previews Ndegeocello’s 15-track album Synonym, which reimagines classics through unexpected pairings with Chaka Khan, WILLOW, Cynthia Erivo, Cat Power, and others.
- The original reached No. 2 on Billboard’s Black Singles chart, while its signature bassline later powered tracks including Eric B. & Rakim’s “Paid in Full” and 2Pac’s “Hit ’Em Up.”
Meshell Ndegeocello and Lianne La Havas have reached into Motown’s catalog for their latest collaboration. The two artists released a new version of Dennis Edwards and Siedah Garrett’s 1984 duet “Don’t Look Any Further” on Friday, August 28, giving the durable R&B classic a modern funk overhaul more than four decades after its debut.
The track is the third preview of Ndegeocello’s upcoming album Synonym, due October 2 through Blue Note Records. Ndegeocello and La Havas trade vocals over the song’s unmistakable groove, while flutist Elena Pinderhughes adds a new layer to the arrangement.
The cover follows Ndegeocello’s rendition of Aretha Franklin and George Michael’s “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” with Cynthia Erivo, and a reggae-inspired take on the Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me” featuring Cat Power.
Originally recorded by former Temptations singer Edwards and Garrett, “Don’t Look Any Further” reached No. 2 on Billboard’s Black Singles chart and No. 72 on the Hot 100.
But its afterlife has been even bigger. The track’s crawling bassline became one of hip-hop’s most recognizable building blocks, surfacing in Eric B. & Rakim’s “Paid in Full,” 2Pac’s “Hit ’Em Up,” Junior M.A.F.I.A.’s “Get Money” remix, and Lil Wayne’s “Way of Life,” among numerous other records.
That history makes the song a natural fit for Synonym, a 15-track project built around familiar music recast through unexpected pairings. “This project is about classic songs that are known and loved,” Ndegeocello said in a statement. “The songs have diverse tones, representing various genres and intentional grooves.” She added that the album also explores “joy, selfhood, individual representation, and universal experience.”
The guest list stretches across generations and genres. Chaka Khan joins Ndegeocello for the Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton classic “Islands in the Stream,” while WILLOW (a/k/a Willow Smith) appears on “Hunger Strike,” a cover of the grunge classic originally recorded by Temple of the Dog (featuring members of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden).
Brandi Carlile, ANOHNI, Robert Glasper, Moses Sumney, Emily King, Lizz Wright, Nick Hakim, and Khruangbin’s Laura Lee are also among the collaborators.
David Gamson, who worked on Ndegeocello’s first two albums, Plantation Lullabies and Peace Beyond Passion, reunited with her to co-produce the project alongside Abe Rounds.
