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For the 2018 Black Girls Rock! awards show, hosted annually on BET, five gifted black female vocalists took to the stage to the celebrate the glorious musical legacy of the late Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin.

Jazmine Sullivan began the tribute with Aretha’s bluesy breakout hit, ‘I Never Loved A Man’, which she coloured with intricate melismatic inflection. She attacked the bridge with rasp and conviction.

Another underrated vocalist, Ledisi took on the gargantuan ‘Ain’t No Way’ – penned by Aretha’s sister Carlyn and arguably the most vocally challenging song in Aretha’s catalogue. I’m staunchly of the persuasion that one should avoid ‘Ain’t No Way’ if they are unwilling to attempt the notoriously difficult bridge, which Aretha herself did not always render live. With impeccable clarity and vocal placement, Ledisi powered through – eliciting a standing ovation from the audience mid-song – with some added gospel flavour too.

Tony Award-winning performer Cynthia Erivo, known for her seminal performance in the The Color Purple on Broadway, was next up – tackling the Burt Bacharach-penned ‘I Say A Little Prayer’. First a hit for Dionne Warwick, Aretha released her own version of ‘I Say A Little Prayer’ less than a year after the original. Aretha’s gospel-inspired rendition also became a hit and was deemed the ‘definitive’ version by Mr Bacharach. A deceptively difficult song to sing with switching time signatures and to-and-fro with the backing vocalists, Cynthia Erivo finessed the song with her rounded tone – throwing in pointed licks.

Stephanie Mills performed ‘Until You Come Back To Me’ and Aretha’s spirited interpretation of Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water – shining particularly on the latter. Her voice – sweet, bright, but with a gospel-honed weight – is still in marvellous shape.

And of course, Yolanda Adams. Perhaps the leading lady of contemporary gospel, Adams never fails to deliver a storming tribute. Only a few months ago she brought the house down at the BET Awards with a tribute to Anita Baker. Performing ‘How I Got Over’ – first performed by gospel legend Clara Ward, a mother figure to Aretha, and featured on Aretha’s live Amazing  Grace (1972) album – Adams testified with ebullience. Overflowing with emotion, Adams seemed to lose some composure as she finished – clearly moved by her memory of the Queen of Soul.