Raphael Saadiq says his Best Original Song Golden Globe nomination for “Tigress & Tweed” with Andra Day is extremely meaningful to him because of the unexpected way it came about during the pandemic.

“This one is special because my mom fell sick,” Saadiq reveals to ABC Audio. “My mom had a heart attack and stroke during COVID.”

“And I had to be with my mom most of the time,” he continues, noting that it was difficult for him and Day to meet up to actually work on the track. “So I recorded ‘Tigress and Tweed’ [at] my childhood piano at my house. So that makes this one really sweet.”

While working with Day wasn’t a new experience for Saadiq — since the two had collaborated on Andra’s debut album, Cheers to the Fall — the multi-hyphenated producer says seeing the singer-actress transform into Billie Holiday was both mesmerizing and reminiscent of another Oscar winner.

“I had the opportunity to watch [The United States vs. Billie Holiday] ahead of time.. and to watch Andra turn into Billie…,” he began. “I said, ‘Yo, you turned into her like Jamie [Foxx] when Jamie turned into Ray [Charles].'”

Now looking back at the hard work that everyone put in, Saadiq says he’s just thankful to be a part of such an important project.

“To watch [director] Lee Daniels, grab somebody like Andra, and believe in Andra… it’s just kind of great to see everything come together,” he says.

The 2021 Golden Globes airs live on Feb. 28 at 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC. The United States vs. Billie Holiday premieres Feb. 26 on Hulu.

By Candice Williams
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