These 6 Andra Day Songs are a Must-Listen
From "Rise Up" to "Tigress and Tweed," discover R&B queen and L’OFFICIEL Art’s Spring 2021 coverstar Andra Day's most soulful songs.
San Diego native Andra Day's rise from young child dancer to R&B and soul musical prodigy has secured the vocalist two Grammy Award nominations thanks to her 2015 major label debut, Cheers to the Fall. A mix of her idols Billie Holiday (her stage name was inspired by Holiday, whose nickname was "Lady Day") and Ella Fitzgerald with a hint of Amy Winehouse's flair, Day’s soulful songs on Cheers to the Fall have turned her into a lyrical powerhouse.
Her track “Rise Up," which peaked at No. 6 on the Adult R&B Songs chart, has scored both a Serena Williams ad for Beats By Dre, and a place within the Black Lives Matter movement as an empowering anthem. With a most recent Golden Globe Award win for her portrayal of Holiday in the biopic The United States vs. Billie Holiday and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, Day further solidifies her skills as a versatile and talented actress and singer.
As the R&B performer graces the L'OFFICIEL Art Spring 2021 issue, we take a closer look at six of Day's best songs.
"Rise Up"
In this motivational song from her 2015 debut album Cheers to the Fall, Day sings about rising up every day to keep working past our obstacles, no matter how insurmountable they may seem. With "Rise Up," the vocalist encourages everyone to keep fighting, day after day, to overcome all the challenges life throws at us. At the 2016 Grammy Awards, the album was nominated for Best R&B Album and her powerful single, "Rise Up", was nominated for Best R&B Performance.
"Cheers to the Fall"
The title track of her debut studio album from 2015, "Cheers to the Fall" finds Day channeling the soulful vibes of Amy Winehouse over a groovy, guitar-driven melody full of vulnerable love notes.
"Gold"
Another track from Day's Cheers to the Fall album, the song “Gold” is an apology to one of her old lovers. She explains that she was not good to him, and cheated many times. It wasn’t until she was cheated on that she finally understood the heartache she caused her ex.
"Gin & Juice (Let Go My Hand)"
Speaking with Hello Beautiful in 2015, the retro-soul singer revealed the inspiration behind the song "Gin & Juice (Let Go My Hand)." According to day, “It’s about habits or vices you want to get rid of but you can’t, whether in a relationship or that thing/issue you can’t let go of.”
"Burn"
Day first covered the Eliza Hamilton power ballad “Burn” on Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton Mixtape in 2016. Directed a few years later in 2018 by Aurora Guerro, the music video for “Burn” reimagines the break-up song—in which Eliza rejects her Founding Father husband after he publicly admits to a scandalous extra-marital affair—in a contemporary setting.
"Tigress and Tweed"
Day's award-winning performance in The United Stats vs. Billie Holiday was the artist's first foray into film, and it certainly paid off. Along with a haunting rendition of "Strange Fruit," Day recorded an original track for the movie, "Tigress and Tweed," that shows off her jazz vocals and references the iconic subject of the biopic.
