"A Rose Is Still a Rose" is a song by American singer Aretha Franklin. Lauryn Hill wrote and produced the song for Franklin's 1998 album with the same name. The song tells the story of a motherly figure giving advice to a younger woman who is in bad relationships.
In the song, Franklin tells the woman that even though she has faced difficulties ("scorned roses and thorn crowns"), she is still a rose. Parts of the song "What I Am" by Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians were sung by Hill during the track.
The song was released as the first single from the album in February 1998 by Arista Records. It became an unexpected success, reaching the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and in the United Kingdom. This was Franklin's last top 40 pop hit. It was her best-selling single of the 1990s, selling over a million copies worldwide and earning two Grammy Award nominations.
Background
In 1994, Aretha Franklin began working on her first studio album since What You See Is What You Sweat (1991). This album had the lowest sales and highest chart position in her career at that time. Between 1991 and 1994, Franklin worked with Babyface on several songs that were included in her Greatest Hits: 1980-1994 collection. One of these songs, "Willing to Forgive," became her first top 40 single in five years. A new studio album was planned but delayed due to other responsibilities.
In 1995, Whitney Houston, a fellow Arista Records artist and Franklin’s honorary niece, chose Franklin to contribute to the soundtrack for Waiting to Exhale. Franklin recorded the ballad "It Hurts Like Hell" for the project. Her performance on the song used a higher mezzo soprano vocal style, similar to her style during her time with Atlantic Records. This change occurred after Franklin stopped smoking cigarettes in early 1992.
During the first fifteen years of her time with Arista Records, Franklin mostly sang with a deeper, raspy voice due to vocal damage caused by smoking. The Waiting to Exhale soundtrack was very successful, selling over 12 million copies worldwide. This success led R&B producers to offer to create Franklin’s next album, which began production in 1997. Among these producers was Lauryn Hill of the Fugees, who gave Franklin and Clive Davis a song called "A Rose Is Still a Rose." Franklin and Clive Davis accepted the offer.
Critical reception
Larry Flick from Billboard described the song as "a smooth and stylish track that matches Aretha Franklin with Lauryn Hill of the Fugees," noting that "it is an exciting collaboration that creates Franklin's strongest and most pop-friendly single in many years. Lauryn Hill adds rhythmic beats, a smooth bassline, and playful guitar sounds, allowing Franklin to sing with confidence and flair." He also said, "Young listeners will enjoy the modern feel of the track (and, it is hoped, use this song as a way to explore more of Franklin's music), while older listeners will appreciate the wise and caring tone in the lyrics. Something for everyone."
Jeremy Helligar from Entertainment Weekly said that "A Rose Is Still a Rose" "does not match the skill of Franklin's earlier song 'Spanish Harlem,' but when Lady Soul sings about a rose, something special happens." He concluded, "Even after listening to it many times, the song's message that the problem is his, not hers, remains strong." After Franklin passed away in 2018, Alexis Petridis from The Guardian wrote, "The late 90s effort to update Franklin's music with hip-hop and neo soul influences did not work well, except for the album's title track written by Lauryn Hill. The beat and references to 'flossin'' are modern, but Franklin sings with calm control." Music Week stated that the single "will create another hit for both artists. The mix of Lauryn's relaxed hip-hop style and Aretha's strong voice means the song will appeal to many people. The most modern track released by Aretha recently, it is now among the top five songs on the RM Club Chart." A reviewer from People Magazine called it the best song on the album.
Commercial performance
The song entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 43 and the Hot R&B Singles chart at number 10 on March 14, 1998. It later reached its highest position of number 26 on the Hot 100 and number 5 on the Hot R&B Singles chart on May 2. The song remained on the Hot 100 for 18 weeks and on the R&B Singles chart for 25 weeks.
"A Rose Is Still a Rose" became an unexpected success for Franklin, giving her the best singles chart results since the mid-1980s. It was her 43rd and final top 40 pop hit on the Billboard Hot 100, nearly 37 years after she first reached the top 40 with her version of "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" in 1961. It was her last top ten single on the Hot R&B Singles chart and her pentimulate top forty hit on that chart.
Music video
A music video was made to promote the song. It was directed by Lauryn Hill and designed by Ron Norsworthy. The video includes Franklin, Hill, and other female R&B singers such as Faith Evans, Changing Faces, Amel Larrieux, and actress Elise Neal as main characters. It also includes Q-Tip from the group A Tribe Called Quest.