Nina Simone: Wild Is the Wind

Nina Simone is a generational utility artist. Pianist, singer, songwriter, performer. But more than that, she was a frontline civil rights activist in the 1960s, using her music as a weapon and a megaphone when it mattered most. She did not flirt with politics. She planted her flag.

Her outspoken opposition to discrimination cost her dearly. She was blackballed in certain circles, radio support dried up, and opportunities disappeared. Simone did not back down. She viewed her fame as a responsibility, not a privilege, and used it as a soapbox as a voice for the voiceless. Decades later, history corrected itself when she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Late, but deserved.

And somehow, despite all of that, I had never really listened to her work. At least not directly. I knew the outlines. I knew the reputation. I knew “I Put a Spell on You,” which I incorrectly thought of as a Bette Midler song. It turns out it is a Screamin’ Jay Hawkins track from 1956 that Simone famously reinterpreted. That realization sums up this entire experience. I thought I knew more than I did.

While digging into this album, I learned two things. One, Wild Is the Wind is largely composed of leftover or unfinished recordings from other sessions. Two, I deeply regret not finding Nina Simone earlier in my life. If these are leftovers, wow.

This album is intimate, restrained, and emotionally devastating in a quiet way. Simone does not belt to impress. She bends notes, drags phrases, and lets silence do some of the work. Her voice feels lived in, like it has seen too much to waste time showing off.

Every track feels personal without being indulgent. It also helps explain why this record continues to echo through modern music. Artists like Jay-Z, Logic, and The Weeknd have sampled Simone repeatedly, not out of nostalgia, but because her work carries weight. It sounds timeless because it refuses to chase trends.

Calling Wild Is the Wind her masterpiece feels strange only because it suggests there was a ceiling. If anything, this album feels like a window into who Nina Simone really was when the noise dropped away. No protest anthems here, no overt political speeches, just vulnerability, restraint, and complete control.

This record does not just make me want to explore her catalog. It makes me feel foolish for waiting this long. Time to fix that.