In short
Cynthia Erivo discusses her “treat” as performing Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good,” focusing on how Simone’s imperfect singing communicates emotion and creates a physical, euphoric connection with audiences.
Guest background
Cynthia Erivo is an actor, songwriter, and singer with major awards including Grammy, Tony, and Emmy recognition.
Key claims
Erivo says “Feeling Good” first hit her around age 14, and that Simone’s delivery—depth over perfect notes—lets her “understand and feel the heartbreak.” She credits performing the song with unlocking new sides of her live performance and releasing something “more” each time.
Notable examples
Erivo references Simone’s “numakitapa” and describes Simone’s French pronunciation as inspiring how she wants French spoken.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOCynthia Erivo on 'Feeling Good'
0:45 to 4:08
Cynthia discusses the impact of Nina Simone's 'Feeling Good' on her life and performances.
“I think a thing that has had a huge impact on me, I'm going to pick a song.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00KCRW sponsors include Black Bear Pictures presenting Tuner when a gifted piano tuner's meticulous skills for tuning pianos leads him to discover an unexpected aptitude for cracking safes. His life gets turned upside down in select theaters May 22nd nationwide May 29th. Welcome to The Treat. I'm Elvis Mitchell. Cynthia Erivo has drawn us to her work as an actor, songwriter and singer and won numerous awards in the process. She is drawn to the compelling spell that's an unusual blend of song and performer.
0:33Cynthia Erivo:I'm Cynthia Erivo, and this is The Treat. It's a new dawn, it's a new day. It's a new life for me, yeah, it's a new dawn. I think a thing that has had a huge impact on me, I'm going to pick a song. It's Feeling Good by Nina Simone, or her version of it. And I'm feeling good.
1:03Fishing you see You know how I feel
1:07Cynthia Erivo:First time I heard it, I want to say I was 14. I might have heard it in my mum's car on the way to school or something. I don't know how to describe it because it's a physical feeling that sort of like reverberates a little bit. And one of my thoughts is like, I want to be able to do that. I want to do that. How does she do that? Because there's like a, it's like a color in it. It's like ink in it. Dragonfly out in the sun, you know what I mean, don't you know? Butterflies all having fun, you know what I mean? The wonderful, magnificent thing about Nina Simone is actually the imperfection with which she sings, because it isn't about the perfect notes, it's about the depth with which she can communicate the notes with.
2:04Cynthia Erivo:Like, to hear her sing numakitapa, you can't help but to understand and feel the heartbreak, and she's singing it completely in the French that she knows, how she pronounces French. when you hear her sing that, that's how you want French always to be spoken.
2:33Cynthia Erivo:Every time I've sung it at a concert, it has afforded me the pleasure of really connecting with the audience that is there. but there's a strange and wonderful kind of euphoria I feel when I perform it that I think has unlocked sides of me in live performance that I didn't really know I had. And every time I've performed it, something more has come from it. Something more has sort of been released when I've been on stage. Stars when you shine, you know how I feel Scent of the pine You know how I feel The more I do it, the better I get. And so I feel like that's the one that's been my treat for myself, for my work, for my performance.
3:28Cynthia Erivo:And actually for me, there's the joy that I get from doing it that I can't really describe.
3:48I'm feeling good Cynthia Arir was in the Grammy, the Tony, and the Emmy, and she's captivated by the singular performance Nina Simone on the song Feeling Good, originally composed for a musical. The inspirational power of KCRW comes from it being a place that brings together music, conversation, and original thought from our community to deepen your sense of community. It brings people together, not corporations and shareholders. If you feel just as inspired as I do by KCRW, and I'm sure that's true, donate now to the station during our Protect What You Love Fund Drive. It's as simple as that.
4:34Your donation can protect what you love. KCRW. The Treat is produced by Rebecca Mooney and mixed by Katie Gilchrist. I'm Elvis Mitchell, and this is The Treat.
5:20KCRW sponsors include Black Bear Pictures, presenting Tuner, when a gifted piano tuner's meticulous skills for tuning pianos leads him to discover an unexpected aptitude for cracking safes, his life gets turned upside down. In select theaters May 22nd, nationwide May 29th. What's up, LA? Want to hit LA's best live events for free? Live now in the KCRW app. It's a dedicated tab for ticket giveaways. We're releasing new giveaways every day. And now you've got one tap entry to giveaways for concerts, festivals, talks, and more. Check the win tab to browse, enter, and win. All from the KCRW app. Download it now or update in your app store.
From the publisher
Grammy, Emmy, and Tony-winning actress and singer Cynthia Erivo continues to conquer stage and screen. She stepped back into Elphaba’s shoes (and cape and hat) in the blockbuster musical 'Wicked: For Good' last year. Now, she’s finishing up a run in a one-woman adaptation of 'Dracula' in London’s West End. For her treat, she celebrates Nina Simone’s iconic take of the song “I’m Feeling Good.” Erivo cites the “color” and imperfections of Simone’s singing as inspiration for her own version of the song, which, she says, teaches her something new every time she sings it.