Story preview

Meshell Ndegeocello: Synonym review – vivid all-star reinventions of everyone from Bob Dylan to J-Lo

the GuardianEnglish

About this story

In the jazz-soul singer’s ‘expression of queer liberation’, stars from Chaka Khan to Bill Callahan to Cynthia Erivo duet on equally varied songs from Cher to the Human League and beyond

Summary from the Guardian

Section: Music
By: Alexis Petridis
Published: Oct 1, 2026, 11:00 AM UTC
Updated: Oct 2, 2026, 4:19 AM UTC

Topics in this story

#meshell #ndegeocello #synonym #review #vivid

Continue reading on the publisher site for the full article.

Read on publisher →theguardian.com

News Atlas is free and independent. If it’s useful to you, you can support it with a coffee. ☕ Buy me a coffee

Background

Context from Wikipedia on the organisations, people and places in this story.

Meshell Ndegeocello

American musician (born 1968)

Meshell Ndegeocello is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and bassist. She has gone by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur, which is used as a writing credit on some of her mid-career work. Her music incorporates a wide variety of influences, including funk, soul, jazz, hip-hop, reggae and rock. She has received significant critical acclaim throughout her career, being nominated for 13 Grammy Awards, and winning three. She also has been credited for helping to "spark the neo-soul movement".

Bob Dylan

American singer-songwriter (born 1941)

Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his 69-year career. Dylan added increasingly sophisticated lyrical techniques to the folk music of the early 1960s, infusing it "with the intellectualism of classic literature and poetry". His lyrics incorporated political, social, and philosophical influences, defying pop music conventions and appealing to the burgeoning counterculture.

The Human League

English synth-pop band

The Human League are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their third album Dare in 1981 after restructuring their lineup. The album produced the hit singles "The Sound of the Crowd", "Love Action ", "Open Your Heart" and the UK and US number one "Don't You Want Me". The band received the Brit Award for Best British Breakthrough Act in 1982.

At a glance

Outlets covering it

in the last 3 days

First reported

8 days ago

Countries

Coverage

Tone

Who else is covering this

Where in the world it’s covered

Coverage over time

Tone of the coverage

About the publisher

the Guardian

Country: United Kingdom
Language: English

Visit the Guardian ↗

Latest from the Guardian

ICJ judge Navi Pillay wins Nobel peace prize for promoting international lawThe GuardianUnited Kingdom6 hr. ago
Trump promises not to attack Iran before November’s US midtermsThe GuardianUnited Kingdom20 hr. ago
Three Saudis killed in Riyadh airport attack claimed by HouthisThe GuardianUnited Kingdom13 hr. ago
Tanker attacked off Qatar as Iran claims route transporting oil through strait of Hormuz will be ‘closed’The GuardianUnited Kingdom23 hr. ago
‘Someone else will do it for less’: refugees in Kenya are powering tech for dwindling payThe GuardianUnited Kingdom19 hr. ago

Meshell Ndegeocello: Synonym review – vivid all-star reinventions of everyone from Bob Dylan to J-Lo

About this story

Background

Meshell Ndegeocello

Bob Dylan

The Human League

At a glance

Who else is covering this

Where in the world it’s covered

Coverage over time

Tone of the coverage

About the publisher

Latest from the Guardian

About the publisher

Related topics

About the publisher

Latest from the Guardian

Background

Meshell Ndegeocello

Bob Dylan

The Human League