Through The Fire (1984) – Chaka Khan

“Through The Fire” epitomizes the nervous drama of Friday night community center dances; it is the centerpiece of junior high mixtapes echoing in headphones as one drifts off to dream of quixotic possibilities, a confession in a letter attempting to persuade a reluctant object of one’s pursuit into a stab at romance. Chaka Khan’s silvery vocals, a dynamic blend of expression and control, weave through marked key changes that grab the listener’s heart and pull it through the strata of infatuation—a lost art in modern day songwriting. Well, of course: David Foster, the master of 80’s pop balladry, co-wrote it, which accounts for the thrilling flair with which Khan avows her willingness to risk emotional devastation for a chance at a considerable payoff.

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