Listen: Irma Thomas Reflects on Her Legacy Via New Single with Galactic “Where I Belong”
Photo Credit: Katie Sikora
New Orleans icons Galactic and Irma Thomas have expanded on their highly anticipated collaborative album Audience With The Queen with the second preview single “Where I Belong.” Set to release on April 11 via Galactic’s own Tchuop-Zilla Records, the combo’s first full-length effort boldly departs from their time-tested formats for a new potent and prescient soul-funk sound. The esteemed jam-funk ensemble and legendary Soul Queen are even better together, made plain by today’s hard-hitting reflection on creative perseverance after all these years.
While Galactic’s 10 previous studio offerings have centered the instrumental quintet of Ben Ellman, Robert Mercurio, Stanton Moore, Jeff Raines and Rich Vogel alongside rotating guest vocalists, Audience With The Queen takes a sharp turn with contributions from Thomas on all nine tracks. Beyond her tremendous vocal talents, the Grammy-winning icon worked closely with saxophonist Ellman and bassist Mercurio to write and refine eight brand-new songs for their collaboration.
The uncommon wisdom Thomas brought to her lyrics is readily apparent in “Where I Belong,” which shows the vocalist looking back on her 60-year legacy of recordings and forward to even more. While her zeal for music is infectious throughout her rocking, gospel-tinted vocal performance, she’s most arrested in a spoken-word breakdown, where she declares: “Seen the world, places I didn’t think I’d ever see / And I love what I’m doing, lovin’ every minute of it.”
“This is a fun song where Irma sits back and reflects on the life she’s lived and the things that make her content with how she’s lived it,” bassist Mercurio shared in a release. “I particularly love the line, ‘I was in Paris drinking Champagne, when you were in diapers and crying.’ It’s funny and light but also so true.”
“This one’s a horn-heavy New Orleans party track built around Miss Irma’s confidence and happiness in knowing she’s right where she should be at this point in her life – making music and singing songs,” saxophonist Ben Ellman said. “The lyrics couldn’t be more true. Her vocal chops are still amazing and she constantly pushes us to play at a higher level.”
Audience With The Queen is available to pre-order and pre-save now. Listen to “Where I Belong” below. For more information on Galactic and their 2025 tour itinerary, visit galacticfunk.com.
Read on for the full tracklist of Audience With The Queen.
Audience With The Queen – Galactic and Irma Thomas:
1. How Glad I Am
2. Where I Belong
3. Love’s Gonna Find A Way Again
4. Lady Liberty
5. Puppet on Your String
6. Peace in my Heart
7. People
8. Over You
9. Be Your Lady
