Aretha Franklin plans to release first of two albums in June

Singer Aretha Franklin performs onstage at the 10th Annual TV Land Awards at the on April 14, 2012, in New York.

/ Getty

(CBS News) At 70, Aretha Franklin has no plans to slow down. In fact, The Queen of Soul has not one - but two -- projects in the works.

"I am working on two new CDs," Franklin revealed to CBSNews.com at the TV Land Awards on Saturday in New York, where she took home the music icon award. "One of them should be out by June."

Pictures: TV Land Awards 2012
Pictures: Aretha Franklin

She added, "We've got the hottest new producers coming in writing, and it's going to be better than it's ever been."

Franklin is also working with longtime producer and music mentor Clive Davis on new material.

Asked which young artists she likes these days, Franklin said, "Fantasia is very good. Jennifer Hudson -- some of the things she does I like. Ne-Yo -- I love his writing."

And it's clear, the veteran songstress stays on top of the latest in television music competitions: Take note "American Idol," "The Voice" and "The X Factor."

"I don't understand why some of these girls who really really can sing are not asked to be judges," she said about the growing talent show competitions. "That's not to say Britney Spears is not good, or that Jennifer Lopez is not good. But ask some of the other girls, too. Like Patti [LaBelle], like Gladys [Knight], like myself. Come on!"

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Aretha Franklin: "Queen of Soul"

[hypnotoad72]

Interesting how we have ageism, in "what young artists"... it's probably contextually appropriate in this article, but the over-reliance on youth and disrespecting elders (in general) is not nice to observe in our culture...

And Aretha is right - why aren't people like herself, Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight, others, asked to be judges? They've got talent and a lot more to offer. And say. There is only one reason why they are not considered...