I watched the documentary What Happened, Miss Simone? on Netflix last night, and the effect is lingering. The list of reasons why Nina Simone remains the High Priestess of Soul is extensive and beautifully elucidated in this film, so I won’t enumerate them here. However, I will point out that throughout the film (and her life), Nina’s turban game was ON POINT. Behold:

I’ve been inspired by this powerful lady ever since I was a teenager, but she was bumped up to the goddess pantheon the moment I first heard “22nd Century” on a mixtape that my pal Luworm had made for me.

1972 was right all the way
drums and bugles blasting all though the day
right wing left wing middle of the road
sidewinder backswinger backlash whiplash
race stockings red stockings
liberation of women liberation of men
everybody carrying a heavy load

tomorrow will be the 22nd century
tomorrow will be the 22nd century
tomorrow will be the 22nd century
it will be, it will be, it will be
it will be

liberation of animals
prevention of cruelty to animals men and beast
flying and on flying flying things
revolution of music poetry love and life
sex change changing changing
man is woman woman is man
even your brain is not your brain
your heart is a plastic thing which can be bought
there are no more diseases that can be caught
man became the thing that he worshiped
man truly became his god

This goes on for close to 9 minutes and you feel her fire in every second. If you’ve not yet heard her music (gasp!) or if you haven’t heard enough, here’s a heartily stocked youtube playlist.