Respect (Aretha Franklin recording)

"Respect" is a song recorded by American singer Aretha Franklin. It is a cover of the original song written and recorded by Otis Redding, and which Franklin rearranged and reshaped to give the perspective of a woman as opposed to Redding's male perspective. The music in the two versions is significantly different, while a few changes in the lyrics resulted in different narratives around the theme of human dignity that have been interpreted as commentaries on gender roles, relationships and "respect". Franklin's rendition of the song was released on April 10, 1967, by Atlantic Records as the second single from her breakthrough debut Atlantic album I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You.

Upon its release, the song became an immediate hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for two weeks and won Franklin two Grammy Awards at the 1968 ceremony, including the first of eight consecutive Grammys for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

The song has since been held as a protest anthem, thanks to its connections to both the civil rights movement of the 1960s and the second-wave feminist movement of the 1970s. It has since been heralded as Franklin's signature song despite her celebrated career of hit singles spanning thirty years. In 1998, Franklin re-recorded the tune for addition to the film and soundtrack to Blues Brothers 2000. It is also the title of Franklin's estate-approved biopic, released in 2021 and starring Jennifer Hudson, who portrayed Franklin.