Nina Simone’s iconic song Feeling Good now has an official music video, more than half a decade after its release.
The legendary musician and activist first released the song on her classic 1965 album I Put a Spell on You.
Directed by BET Award winner Sarah Lacombe, the music video for Feeling Good follows four generations of Black women “living their truths, loving each other, celebrating their hair, and feeling good,” according to a media release.
Watch the music video below.
The video is the result of a partnership between Dove, Verve Records/UMe/Universal Music Canada, and Nina Simone’s estate, who came together to create a video depicting Black joy, beauty and self-expression.
“Nina was a tireless champion of individual freedom of expression,” a representative of the Nina Simone Charitable Trust said in a statement. “She inspired the young, gifted and Black to celebrate their culture, reminding them their souls were intact just the way they were.”
The video is meant to raise awareness for the CROWN Act, a U.S. law that prohibits race-based hair discrimination. The CROWN Act, which stands for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair” and was spearheaded in 2019 by Dove and the CROWN Coalition, has been passed in 12 states so far.
“Dove is on a mission to change beauty and redefine narrow beauty standards. It is not acceptable for any of us to change our natural identity to gain employment or access to school,” said Esi Eggleston Bracey, an executive at Unilever North America. “Now is the time to pass The CROWN Act and eliminate this barrier for children and adults everywhere because we all deserve to feel good about the way we wear our hair. This video expresses just that — what it’s like to feel good when you’re free to be you.”
Feeling Good was written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for the musical The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd in 1964. Simone recorded her definitive version the next year, and it remains one of the most enduringly ubiquitous songs of all time. The song has also been covered by Michael Bublé, John Coltrane, George Michael, Muse, Sammy Davis Jr. and many more.