Meshell Ndegeocello Presents Synonym

Meshell Ndegeocello’s Synonym is an album of cover songs performed as duets, drawing on works by Bob Dylan, Jennifer Lopez, the Human League, Barbra Streisand and Temple of the Dog. Ndegeocello described Synonym as an expression that treats queer liberation as synonymous with every form of liberation.

Ndegeocello and Callahan perform a closing version of Dylan’s With God on Our Side. Ndegeocello also made major changes to the melody, tempo and lyrics of Dylan’s It Ain’t Me Babe. Her version of Don’t You Want Me with Cat Power rearranges the song as reggae.

Synonym also reconstructs Sonny and Cher’s I Got You Babe, with Anohni taking Cher’s role and Ndegeocello taking Sonny’s role. Ndegeocello’s interpretation of Don’t Stop the Music can be read as a comment on the loss of value of music in the streaming era. Ndegeocello contributed to the formation of neo soul with her 1993 debut album Plantation Lullabies, while her latest album, No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin, won the Grammy for best alternative jazz album.