Feeling Good
by Avicii (featuring Audra Mae)

Album: single release only (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song was originally written for the 1964 musical The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd. It achieved an international audience after Nina Simone recorded her classic soul version the following year.
  • Avicii re-interpreted the classic tune adding new vocals, and signature EDM melodies. The Swede's remix was done in a creative partnership with car manufacturer Volvo for a global branded campaign titled "A New Beginning," centered around the Volvo XC90. "I've been a big fan of Nina Simone, Etta James and that kind of sound for a very long time," said Avicii. "So when I found out that was the song that Volvo Cars wanted in the music video I was really excited and happy to do something with it. I wanted to create something new, and at the same time stay true to the original."
  • The song features Audra Mae on vocals, marking the second time Avicii has worked with the Oklahoma-based singer-songwriter – she previously sung on the Swede's 2013 "Addicted to You" single. "It's great to work with Audra Mae again," Avicii said. "She has a powerful and emotionally charged voice and is steeped in the folk and country music traditions. She most recently worked with me on the True album. Audra's soulful delivery breathes new life into this classic track. I'm very pleased with the result."
  • The video was shot in the Stockholm and Osterlen areas of Sweden,. It sees Avicii visiting places of personal significance and spend time with family and close friends. "In the past six years I have been on a never-ending tour, apart for the last nine months during my time-out. I did around 325 shows in a year with traveling on top of that. It couldn't continue," he said. "In the end I had to re-evaluate my situation and change my lifestyle."

    "Sweden is an important place to me, it's where I gather my strength and energy with family and friends," Avicii continued. "This whole process of re-evaluation and renewal is what Volvo encouraged me to visualize in the music video. I think we did a great job together."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Bob Daisley

Bob DaisleySongwriter Interviews

Bob was the bass player and lyricist for the first two Ozzy Osbourne albums. Here's how he wrote songs like "Crazy Train" and "Mr. Crowley" with Ozzy and Randy Rhoads.

David Sancious

David SanciousSongwriter Interviews

Keyboard great David Sancious talks about his work with Sting, Seal, Springsteen, Clapton and Aretha, and explains what quantum physics has to do with making music.

Rosanne Cash

Rosanne CashSongwriter Interviews

Rosanne talks about the journey that inspired her songs on her album The River & the Thread, including a stop at the Tallahatchie Bridge.

Weezer

WeezerFact or Fiction

Did Rivers Cuomo grow up on a commune? Why did they name their albums after colors? See how well you know your Weezer in this Fact or Fiction.

JJ Burnel of The Stranglers

JJ Burnel of The StranglersSongwriter Interviews

JJ talks about The Stranglers' signature sound - keyboard and bass - which isn't your typical strain of punk rock.

Cy Curnin of The Fixx

Cy Curnin of The FixxSongwriter Interviews

The man who brought us "Red Skies" and "Saved By Zero" is now an organic farmer in France.