Andra Day

Andra Day is a powerful singer and artful songwriter who isn't merely a throwback R&B specialist; her roots in gospel, jazz, and the blues, displayed with ease and finesse, translate to the present. Cheers to the Fall (2015), her auspicious debut, cracked the Top Ten of the R&B/hip-hop and paved the way for a handful of Grammy nominations and an Academy Award nomination, with "Stand Up for Something" (2017), her contribution to the soundtrack of Marshall, earning both distinctions. Anticipation for her second proper album has continued to build with singles such as "Amen" (2018) and "Make Your Troubles Go Away" (2020), and a Golden Globe-winning portrayal of in The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021).

Born Cassandra Monique Batie in Edmonds, Washington, Andra Day grew up in San Diego and its metropolitan area, where she performed in church and enrolled at the School of Creative and Performing Arts. After she graduated from the school, she leaned toward contemporary R&B and pop, but was eventually drawn back to the classic jazz and soul vocalists she heard as a youngster. A major break came when a performance of hers was caught by Kai Millard Morris, who subsequently took some of Day's music to husband . The legend in turn connected Day with music industry veteran . Allied with and Jeffrey Evans' label, Day built up a YouTube following and eventually signed with major-label

After some singles, as well as a version of "Mississippi Goddamn" contributed to Nina Revisited: A Tribute to Nina Simone, Day completed her debut album, Cheers to the Fall, for which she collaborated extensively with the likes of and , among others. "Only Love" alone featured bass from , drums from , scratching from , and additional support from the Dap-Kings horn section. The album, issued in August 2015, reached number 48 on the Billboard 200 (number six on the R&B/hip-hop chart). At the following Grammy ceremony, it was nominated for Best R&B Album, and Day was also among the nomin