ANDRA DAY SHINES ON ORIGINAL SONG “TIGRESS & TWEED”

“How much time do you want for your progress?” The late, great James Baldwin’s question to America remains unanswered. Today, Andra Day evokes Baldwin’s militant spirit with “Tigress & Tweed,” a thought-provoking and poignant original song written by the GRAMMY® Award-nominated singer/songwriter, activist, and actress along with Raphael Saadiq. The timely track will feature in The United States vs. Billie Holiday and arrives ahead of Andra’s starring role, which revolves around racism and the late legendary Holiday. The biopic debuts February 26th on Hulu. Watch the trailer HERE and get the key art HERE. Available now on Warner Records, “Tigress & Tweed” is the standout song of the film’s forthcoming soundtrack.

“If Billie Holiday were with us now, I believe she’d want to see Strange Fruit evolved,” said Andra. “If Strange Fruit was a call to awareness, Tigress & Tweed is a call to action because she laid the groundwork. Raphael Saadiq sent the perfect track and the lyrics finally came to me like a flood after a prayer one day. I hope people are strengthened by Truth and Love when they hear it.”

“Tigress & Tweed” features a resolute Andra singing in her signature evocative style, pleading for the hurt and voiceless. “Say a prayer for me / Strange fruit, come down off that tree,” Andra sings at the beginning of the song, nodding to Holiday’s immortal Black protest song.

The United States vs. Billie Holiday, in which Andra makes her feature-acting debut as Holiday, will shed light on the innovative vocalist’s embattled years as a target of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics—the unit sought to imprison Holiday on drug charges, a retaliatory action given her dedication to singing highly politicized songs like “Strange Fruit” and her efforts to integrate her audiences. Andra stars alongside Moonlight lead, Trevante Rhodes, in the biopic, directed by Lee Daniels (Precious, Empire) and written by Pulitzer winner Suzan-Lori Parks.

In addition to sharing several new singles—including a stirring rendition of “Strange Fruit”—in the lead up to the film, Andra also performed as part of President Biden’s Inauguration. She will be honored at the Critics Choice Association’s third annual Celebration of Black Cinema on February 2nd for her work in The United States vs. Billie Holiday, and she also graced the covers of Variety Magazine and V Magazine. Already receiving an outpouring of critical acclaim, the film appears in TIME Magazine’s “Most Anticipated Movies of 2021” list, and Andra Day is featured in Variety Magazine’s 2021 Oscars predictions for “Best Actress.” “Tigress & Tweed” is the latest stopping point in a busy 2021 for Andra Day and a reminder of her power as a songwriter.

ABOUT ANDRA DAY

3x GRAMMY® nominee Andra Day is best known for her 2016 GRAMMY®-nominated behemoth, “Rise Up,” which has amassed 1 billion streams and garnered RIAA triple-platinum certification. She’s shared the stage with everyone from Stevie Wonder and the Obamas to Nick Jonas and Alicia Keys. Working with GiveDirectly, Andra recently released “Make Your Troubles Go Away” to fight COVID-19. Next, she stars as Billie Holiday in the upcoming biopic, The United States vs. Billie Holiday, directed by Oscar-winner Lee Daniels.

Photo By Takashi Seida

THE UNITED STATES vs. BILLILE HOLIDAY SYNOPSIS

The legendary Billie Holiday, one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time, spent much of her career being adored by fans across the globe. Beginning in the 1940’s in New York City, the federal government targeted Holiday in a growing effort to escalate and racialize the war on drugs, ultimately aiming to stop her from singing her controversial and heart-wrenching ballad, “Strange Fruit.” Led by Oscar®-nominated director Lee Daniels and introducing Grammy®-nominated singer-songwriter Andra Day, The United States vs. Billie Holiday unapologetically presents the icon’s complicated, irrepressible life. Screenplay Writer Suzan-Lori Parks, the first African American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, pens this intimate tale of a fierce trailblazer whose defiance through music helped usher in the civil rights movement. NAACP Image Award® Nominee Trevante Rhodes and Emmy® Nominee Natasha Lyonne co-star along with Garrett Hedlund, Miss Lawrence, Rob Morgan, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Evan Ross, Tyler James Williams, Tone Bell, and Erik LaRay Harvey.