Ledisi Releases New Single “What a Difference a Day Made” | WATCH NEW VIDEO!
GRAMMY-Winner Ledisi Shares New Single
“What A Difference A Day Made”
From Her New Album For Dinah
A Tribute To The Great Dinah Washington
Out October 3
Produced by Christian McBride Featuring Collaborations with Gregory Porter, Paul Jackson Jr. & Michael King
August 29 Marks Dinah Washington’s 101st Birthday
New Single Arrives in Celebration of the Music Legend
August 22, 2025: Today, Grammy-winning vocalist Ledisi released her rendition of “What A Difference A Day Made” the iconic standard that earned Dinah Washington a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Performance in 1959 and was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998. With a gorgeous arrangement and soaring vocal performance, Ledisi captures the song’s emotional arc—the transformative power of love that turns sorrow into joy. Ledisi’s expressive delivery honors Dinah’s legacy while making the moment wholly her own. The track arrives just in time to help celebrate what would have been Washington’s 101st birthday on August 29.
“What a Difference a Day Made” is taken from For Dinah, Ledisi’s deeply personal tribute to her lifelong hero to be released on October 3 via Candid Records. Produced by jazz heavyweight Christian McBride and Ledisi’s longtime producer Rex Rideout, For Dinah blends Ledisi’s signature soul with Washington’s bold spirit, reclaiming space for a pioneer who made it possible for women like her to thrive. The album features standout collaborations, including a duet with Grammy-winning vocalist Gregory Porter and appearances by top-tier musicians like Paul Jackson Jr. and rising star Michael King.
Ledisi on her rendition of “What a Difference a Day Made”: “Dinah Washington won a GRAMMY Award in 1959 for Best Rhythm and Blues Performance with this song. It was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998 and she earned her first top ten pop hit with this song, reaching number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. There’s so much history with this song. When I decided to tribute Dinah, I had to sing this song. It’s such a great example of her appeal, displaying her reach to both the R&B and Pop audience.”
“What a Difference a Day Made” follows lead single “This Bitter Earth,” a soul-stirring interpretation of the haunting ballad made famous by Washington and written by Clyde Otis. Like every triumphantly gifted female singer who has transcended barriers, Ledisi is a child of Dinah Washington. “She gave me permission to move freely, create freely, be a woman in leadership, wear and say what I want,” explains Ledisi. “Before there was Aretha, there was Dinah. She deserves to be recognized in today’s music as well. So instead of asking me ‘Why Dinah?,’ you should be asking ‘Why not Dinah?’”
Born in New Orleans and shaped by the Bay Area, Ledisi has emerged as a leading voice in contemporary R&B. She’s earned a Grammy win, 14 nominations, and widespread acclaim for portraying her musical heroes on stage, record, and screen — including Mahalia Jackson in Selma and Remember Me. Her most recent Grammy nod was for Ledisi Sings Nina, a tribute praised by The New York Times for capturing both Nina Simone’s depth and Ledisi’s own stunning vocal range. As the critic Salamishah Tillet pointed out in their glowing profile, Ledisi Sings Nina lifts up “the diversity and depth of Simone’s musicianship and the breathtaking range and reach of Ledisi’s own voice.”
Ledisi describes her connection to Dinah Washington’s music as deeply personal, offering a space to fully embrace and express her femininity. “There’s a sensuality in this music,” she says, “in my fur, my curves, the tightness of my dress — and in how I move with the music.” Ultimately, For Dinah is Ledisi’s tribute to representation and resilience. She sees herself in Washington’s struggle for acceptance in a male-dominated industry, as a dark-skinned woman navigating similar challenges. “I felt her pain, her rejection,” Ledisi says. “This is where I come from — and this is my way of saying her name out loud.”
Having just wrapped up a tour in Europe, Ledisi is set to play a number of shows this fall in support of For Dinah including an album release show at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles on October 3. Click HERE for additional tour dates.
Photo Credit: Ron T Young
Missing Piece Group