Self-titling an album several years into a storied career makes a statement. When you release the second self-titled album of your storied career, you really mean it. For Diana Ross, who broke out as the lead voice of The Supremes and went on to solo stardom, her second eponymous record began a career highlight.
Diana Ross contains two diametrically opposed chart-toppers: “Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To)” and “Love Hangover.” The first was the title track from the Ross-starring film. The song was much bigger than the film, hitting No. 1 on the charts and earning a spot on the American Film Institute’s venerable list of 100 Movie Songs. But the real gem on the album is “Love Hangover.” Clocking in at 7:48, the song slowly builds from a ballad into a dance floor stormer. At the 2:42 mark, Ross and company dramatically shift the tempo, and Henry E. Davis drops one of the funkiest basslines of an extremely funky decade.
The two songs are emblematic of Ross’s range and growth from her early ’60s debut, morphing from girl-group leader to torch songstress to disco diva. With ridiculous ease, Ross reminds us why she was one of the greatest stars of multiple musical eras.
This article is featured in the January/February 2026 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Subscribe to the magazine for more art, inspiring stories, fiction, humor, and features from our archives.
Become a Saturday Evening Post member and enjoy unlimited access. Subscribe now
Comments
‘Diana Ross’ is definitely worth listening to again. Totally agree on the two main hits from the ’75 album. The film itself isn’t great otherwise, but seeing her (at the time) on the big screen was the real treat.
Style over substance I generally don’t care for, but if the former knocks it out of the park, it’s forgivable. ‘American Gigolo’ also. The Giorgio Moroder and Blondie soundtrack made up for whatever flaws the film had otherwise.