VivaVibe

Melissa Etheridge mixed things up for her latest release. After nearly three decades of releasing highly personal material, the rocker culled inspiration elsewhere for her 14th studio LP: Legendary label Stax Records. She covered 12 songs from their catalog — from Sam and Dave’s “Hold On, I’m Coming” to William Bell’s “Any Other Way” to Otis Redding’s “I’ve Got Dreams to Remember.” A particular highlight comes with Etheridge’s reworking of the Staple Singers’ 1971 classic “Respect Yourself.” EW is excited to premiere the video for the call-to-action tune below.

“I have such deep appreciation for the work of Mavis Staples and the Staple Singers,” the 55-year-old tells EW via email, explaining why she was drawn to the tune. “[Singer] Pricilla Rene helped me re-imagine the lyrics of ‘Respect Yourself’ for a more contemporary take on the racist issues that start with a lack of respect for one’s own self.”

The video, which features both archival news footage as well as updated images, brings the original context of the song — Mavis Staples and Co. reference the KKK during the tune’s first outing — into the divides that currently plague the U.S.

“Respect Yourself” is streaming below. Etheridge is currently on tour, a full list of live dates can be found on the singer’s website.

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