So Damn Happy

"So Damn Happy" is the thirty-fifth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, marking her first studio release in five years. The album features the Grammy Award-winning track "Wonderful," a single co-written and produced by Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence.

It peaked at number 33 on the US Billboard 200 and number 11 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and also reached the top 30 of the Italian Albums Chart. Following the release of the album, Franklin left Arista Records after a 23-year tenure and announced plans to establish her own Detroit-based record label, Aretha Records.

In 1998, Aretha Franklin released her thirty-fourth studio album, A Rose Is Still a Rose. This album marked a departure from the adult contemporary sound of her earlier work, embracing collaborations with prominent hip hop producers and rappers like Lauryn Hill, Sean "Puffy" Combs, and Jermaine Dupri. This shift introduced a blend of hip hop and modern-day R&B into her music. The album achieved gold status in the US and was well-received by critics, who saw it as a return to form for Franklin.

After Clive Davis, the head of Arista Records and a longtime collaborator, departed in 2000, L.A. Reid took the helm for Franklin’s subsequent project. Reid aimed to honor Franklin’s roots by focusing on a more personal, soulful vibe rather than a mainstream pop sound. On So Damn Happy, Franklin wrote and produced three tracks herself, played the piano, and was notably more involved in the album’s creation than in her recent work. She described the album’s sound as a mix of hip-hop and traditional elements, highlighting its successful blend of both styles.