"Grandma was a free-spirited woman": Nina Simone's granddaughter defends Chloe Bailey after her performance of "Feeling Good" leaves Twitter divided

Singer-songwriter Chloe Bailey recently performed a rendition of Nina Simone's iconic number “Feeling Good" on ABC’s “Soul of the Nation.” The special series celebrates the month of Juneteenth, a commemoration of the socio-political contributions of African-American legends.

Fans have been eager to watch Chloe Bailey’s version of "Feeling Good,” which also marks her first solo performance onstage. However, Chloe’s debut stint was met with a wave of mixed reactions from viewers across the globe.

Although most viewers appreciated Chloe Bailey for her vocals, the 22-year-old received many criticisms for the choreography. Many people called out the dance routine for being too risqué for the classic song.

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Nina Simone's granddaughter defends Chloe Bailey’s performance

Following mass criticism of Chloe Bailey’s performance, Nina Simone's granddaughter, ReAnna Simone Kelly, came to the singer’s defense.

ReAnna shared that her grandmother was a “free-spirited women” who would have loved Chloe’s performance. She took to Twitter to share her opinion on Chloe Bailey’s version of "Feeling Good."

“Everyone’s coming at @ChloeBailey for her performance of my grandmother Nina Simone’s song “Feeling Good”. But what y’all don’t understand is that grandma was a free spirited woman herself!! She would’ve loved that performance as much as I do! Relax. Chloe killed it.”

ReAnna also added that Nina Simone was “unapologetically herself” during her years. She even playfully mentioned that Nina would have performed the song Chloe’s way “if she could.”

Legendary singer Nina Simone was known for her constant activism besides her historic songs. Nina was an advocate of women's empowerment and believed in the power of expression beyond the shackles of society.

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Chloe Bailey’s “Feeling Good” performance leaves internet divided

Chloe Bailey has taken Twitter by storm after performing Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good” onstage. With few criticizing the nature of her choreography and others coming to her defense, Chloe has left the internet divided.

Majority of viewers immediately took to Twitter to express that Chloe Bailey’s moves were too racy and “inappropriate” to match the classic song. Some even claimed that the singer “disrespected” Nina Simone’s legacy with her performance.

However, another group of viewers were quick to defend Chloe, including Nina Simone’s own granddaughter.

As netizens continue to debate Chloe Bailey’s rendition, it is yet to be seen if the singer will address the reactions and talk about her “Feeling Good” performance.

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