i'm thinking of nina simone
i've been trying to not let youtube dictate what i watch recently by making my "own" algorithm. but this isn't a post about that, because as always, i got distracted.
instead of doing what i set out to do, as i was browsing youtube earlier, the algorithm actually recommended me a video breaking down nina simone's montreux concert from 1976.
in the past month or so, i've developed the habit of having these one-off videos "breaking down" various topics playing at volume 10-12 while i solve nonograms or try to rank up on tetr.io1. i consider this part of my winding down routine, so even when the videos turn out to be interesting, i tend not to focus on them too much since i only really need something playing/rambling/venting in the background of my brain shutting off for the day.
today, though, a specific section of the nina simone montreux video caught my attention and had me tabbing out of my nonogram progress. specifically, it was highlighting nina simone's cover of feelings. later, i saw that there are a lot of videos uploaded of just that cover2. there's also a spotify version where it's joined with her cover of stars, but i personally like the feeling of watching the cover more than listening.
to be fair, i'm not a big nina simone connoisseur or anything like that. my most listened to nina simone track is probably her cover of here comes the sun, which was part of a dumb playlist of here comes the sun covers i made when i was a teenager.
i cannot explain why i'm so taken by this cover in particular, or why it has ignited this sudden fixation with nina simone. i found myself revisiting her here comes the sun covers album. i also found out she has classical music/piano training, which i didn't know because i thought she was mainly in the jazz/blues genre.
it drives me crazy in that one section of her feelings cover where she just goes ham on the piano. and also all the sad, faraway looks she gave mid-performance. it makes me feel like she knows something we don't.
at the risk of sounding predictable and cringe, i was of course taken by the line "i wish i never lived this long", but i mean... i always love on-the-nose lines like that.
i don't know. i wish i could explain why i'm thinking of nina simone on a random february evening, and i wish i knew why youtube recommended me the video breaking down her montreux concert at all, considering i've been mostly watching esports vods and random personal tech videos when i'm not listening to people break down why the politics in my country are the way they are and why i should dedicate 5 minutes of cleaning every day if i want to keep our home clean.
anyway, i really wanted to write about my youtube habits recently, but nina simone had me thinking. about what? i don't know. i feel sad but also, crazily inspired, if that makes sense? i think i'm going to try and read more about her life and music. i found out she has an autobiography, so maybe i will check that out.
additionally, i really, really like her cover of feelings and i am now too scared to check out the original song because i might not like it that much.