Watch RAYE cover Nina Simone’s ‘Feeling Good’ on ‘Like A Version’

nme.com:

RAYE has performed an emotive cover of Nina Simone’s ‘Feeling Good’. Check it out below.The rendition of the classic 1965 track was shared by the Mercury Prize nominated singer yesterday (February 9) as part of the latest episode of Triple J’s Like A Version series.In the performance, RAYE delivers a seemingly more stripped-back approach to that of the original.

Sitting by a piano by herself, the latest take on the ‘60s song omits the band sections that featured in the Nina Simone version, and sees the singer instead replace the instrumentals with a simple piano melody.RAYE also takes a slightly different approach to the vocals in her cover – swapping out Simone’s majestic portrayal for one that seems more vulnerable.Shortly after the release of the cover, the series also shared a separate video of RAYE speaking about the reasons why she chose to cover the song, as well as explaining that she put her own spin on it out of respect for Simone.“I just love that song so much.

I’ve been singing it since I was like 11 [or] 12. It’s just one of my all-time favourites. I’m intimidated by anything that Nina sings because I think she’s one of one and can’t be imitated.

So I think in my mind I was like ‘I’m going to do it but [in] my own version’ because her version can’t be topped,” she said.“I think it’s one of those timeless pieces to me… It’s one of those magic pieces of music that doesn’t come by very often and also continues to inspire generations and generations to come,” she added.“I think there was something so beautiful about the way that music was written and recorded in those days.