Beyoncé
While Beyoncé’s entire career is a testament to powerful female artistry, her 2022 album “Renaissance” is a direct love letter to the dance-floor divas who came before her, especially Donna Summer. The album's grand finale, “Summer Renaissance,” explicitly
samples Summer’s groundbreaking 1977 synth-disco classic, “I Feel Love.” Beyond that direct nod, the entire album channels the euphoric, seamless, and transformative energy of a classic disco night. It’s a scholarly and celebratory exploration of Black dance music history, where Summer’s influence is a foundational pillar, felt in the soaring vocals, intricate transitions, and the pure, unadulterated joy of the groove.
Jessie Ware
If you're searching for a modern artist who embodies the sophisticated, soulful side of disco, look no further than British singer Jessie Ware. Her albums, particularly “What’s Your Pleasure?” and “That! Feels Good!”, have been praised for creating a sound so authentic it feels like it could have been recorded by Donna Summer herself in a parallel universe. Ware doesn’t just borrow disco’s aesthetic; she inhabits it. Her music is filled with lush strings, funky basslines, and a vocal delivery that is both powerful and intimate, sensual and commanding. She captures the escapism and joy of classic club culture, making music for grown-ups that is deeply indebted to the high-quality, emotionally rich dance music that Summer perfected.
Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa’s 2020 album “Future Nostalgia” was a watershed moment for the modern disco revival, and Donna Summer’s DNA is all over it. While Summer pioneered the fusion of electronic sounds with soulful R&B and pop, Lipa updates that formula for the 21st century. Tracks like “Don’t Start Now” and “Levitating” are built on the same foundation that made Summer’s hits timeless: an irresistible four-on-the-floor beat, shimmering synths, and a commanding female vocal that guides you to the dance floor. Lipa’s project was an intentional blend of nostalgia and futuristic pop sheen, creating a sound that feels both familiar and entirely new, much like Summer’s own forward-thinking collaborations with producer Giorgio Moroder.
Róisín Murphy
For those who appreciate Donna Summer’s more experimental and avant-garde impulses, Irish art-pop icon Róisín Murphy is an essential listen. A dance-music visionary, Murphy has built a career on defying easy categorization, much like Summer did when she blended rock guitars into “Hot Stuff” or pushed electronic boundaries with “I Feel Love.” Murphy’s music, both with her former duo Moloko and in her solo work, fuses disco, house, funk, and even jazz into something utterly unique. Her enthralling, theatrical stage presence and willingness to explore the outer edges of pop recall the artistic fearlessness of icons like Summer and Grace Jones. If you love the adventurous side of Donna, Murphy’s eclectic catalog is a treasure trove waiting to be discovered.
Diana Ross
It’s impossible to talk about Donna Summer without acknowledging her brilliant contemporary and fellow disco royal, Diana Ross. While Summer was known for her raw, gospel-honed power and sensual fire, Ross brought a different kind of glamour to the genre—that of the polished, supreme Motown superstar. Initially hesitant to record disco, Ross eventually embraced it with iconic hits like “Love Hangover” and “Upside Down.” Listening to them side-by-side provides a fascinating study in contrasts: Summer’s music often feels like a spiritual, floor-shaking experience, while Ross’s disco tracks are the epitome of chic, effortless elegance. They were two queens ruling different, yet equally essential, corners of the same glittering kingdom.
