Brittany Howard, fresh from receiving five nominations for the 2021 Grammy Awards, was a special musical guest on the latest edition of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. Instead of playing it safe during the performance part of her appearance, Howard decided to treat her fans (and everyone who enjoys music) with a powerful cover of Nina Simone’s single “Revolution.”
Howard and her band absolutely nailed the tune, putting their own spin on the arrangement but keeping the moving vibe of the original. It didn’t matter that they were performing in the empty studio, as the 32-year-old singer completely owned the stage and made sure to project the energy to the viewers at home.
Check out Howard’s rendition of “Revolution” below.
Brittany Howard, known for her work with bands Alabama Shakes and Thunderbitch, released her debut solo album Jamie in late 2019. The record received acclaim from the critics and was praised for “mixing” different music styles and Howard’s lyrics and vocal delivery.
Jamie secured Howard a nomination for Best Alternative Music Album at the upcoming Grammys. At the same time, she was also nominated for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for “Stay High,” Best R&B Performance for “Goat Head,” and Best American Roots Performance for “Short and Sweet.”
Nina Simone wrote “Revolution” with jazz musician Weldon Irvine and released it as a single in 1969 and as part of the album To Love Somebody. The song was written as an answer to The Beatles’ song of the same name, which was released the year before.
Although Simone’s “Revolution” wasn’t a huge success at the time, it has become somewhat of an iconic track in the following decades.
