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Warner RecordsAndra Day delivers a passionate cover of Billie Holiday’s “All of Me,” ahead of her forthcoming role as the legendary Blues singer.
The track will appear on the soundtrack to The United States vs. Billie Holiday, a biopic centering on the late singer, which will debut as a Hulu Original film on February 26th.
Day will make her feature-acting debut in the Lee-Daniels directed film, alongside Tyler James Williams, Natasha Lyonne, Miss Lawrence, and Moonlight star Trevante Rhodes. The film sheds light on the Holiday’s tumultuous career, including spending years as a target of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics. The unit sought to imprison Holiday on drug charges — a retaliatory action given her dedication and efforts to integrate her audiences by singing highly politicized songs like “Strange Fruit.”
After an outpouring of support and critical acclaim for the biopic, Variety Magazine predicted Day to land her first Oscar nomination for Best Actress. The Grammy-nominated singer also graced the Spring 2021 edition of V magazine, where she discussed portraying the truth about Holiday’s life.
“Because really, she was adored,” says Day. “It’s like, if you tell the truth about Billie Holiday, people are going to fall in love. She was one of the only artists who had the power to captivate audiences of all races around the world. People would write about her in the paper, and they would write positive things and they would write negative things. But ultimately, everybody really, really loved her.”
Andra Day is known for her vocal anthems such as 2015’s “Rise Up” from her Grammy-nominated debut, Cheers To The Fall. A musical collaboration on the song with Oscar winner Common was also nominated for a Daytime Emmy in 2018. That same year, the pair were nominated for an Oscar for “Stand Up for Something” from the film Marshall; they performed it at the 90th Annual Academy Awards.
Last year, Day lent her inimitable vocals to “Make Your Troubles Go Away,” which supported efforts to fight COVID-19.
By Rachel George
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