Irene Cara’s “Flashdance…What A Feeling” is from the 1983 movie Flashdance, and it also appeared on her sophomore album, What A Feelin’, released in the same year. Giorgio Moroder wrote the music, and Cara co-authored the lyrics with Keith Forsey. Cara and Forsey used the scene in the film where the main character, played by Jennifer Beals, does a dance audition in front of judges. The song became an inspirational pop hit and kept the number one spot for six weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also held that spot in 10 other countries and sold a million copies within 90 days. Cara received a Grammy, Golden Globe Award, and American Music Award and was the youngest person to get an Oscar for songwriting thanks to “Flashdance…What a Feeling.”
The biggest song of her career made her a household name, but it was bittersweet because she had to file a lawsuit in 1985 against an executive and the record company because she did not receive royalties from the soundtrack and her first two albums. “Flashdance…What a Feeling” is considered by several critics to be one of the top soundtrack songs ever, and it was picked by the Library of Congress to be entered into the National Recording Registry in 2023. Irene Cara released five albums, appeared on more than a dozen soundtracks, acted in nine stage shows, eleven television shows, and eighteen movies during her career. She passed away in 2022 at the age of 63.
