"La Diva" is the twenty-fifth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on September 6, 1979, by Atlantic Records. The album marked the end of Franklin's 12-year tenure with Atlantic and concluded a run of 19 original albums with the label. It was produced by Van McCoy, who was known for his work in the disco genre, and the album was intended to capitalize on the disco trend. However, by the time of its release, disco was waning in popularity, and the album struggled commercially.
La Diva is considered the lowest-charting and poorest-selling album in Franklin's Atlantic Records catalog. The lead single, "Ladies Only," reached number 33 on the Billboard R&B singles chart, while the follow-up, "Half A Love," stalled at number 65. Despite this, the album was recorded during Franklin's vocal peak and features three of her own compositions, including a song by her eldest son, Clarence Franklin.
Though remembered as Franklin's attempt at a disco project, La Diva also includes notable funk and R&B tracks such as The Emotions' "Reasons Why," Zulema's "Half a Love," Lalomie Washburn's "It's Gonna Get A Bit Better," and Franklin's own "Honey I Need Your Love."
