1984 · Behind the Songs
The dance-floor declaration.
The recording in context
“New Attitude” was Patti LaBelle’s 1984 dance-floor declaration, written by Sharon Robinson, Jon Gilutin and Bunny Hull. Released as she was reintroducing herself to a new generation, it became a top-20 pop hit and an anthem of personal reinvention — the sound of a veteran star stepping into the eighties on her own terms.
Listen closely
Notice the bounce — a rubbery bass line, crisp drum machines, and horns that punch in like exclamation points. Over it all, LaBelle sounds utterly liberated: she shouts, she growls, she testifies. This is not a singer interpreting a song; it’s a singer declaring one, and the joy is contagious.
Listen to the call-and-response with the backing vocals — a gospel trick transplanted to the dance floor. The bridge strips things down to a chant, then the whole band crashes back in for the final chorus. It’s a masterclass in momentum: every section is bigger than the last, and LaBelle rides the wave like she was born on it.
“New Attitude” is the sound of Patti LaBelle deciding that the best was yet to come — and making it so.