After years of public scrutiny and conflicts behind the scenes, fans and critics will, at last, get to see Zoe Saldana play Nina Simone on the big screen in Nina, out Apr. 22. Saldana's controversial casting in 2012 has become a hot topic with the movie's release in sight, especially with on-screen diversity being thrust in the spotlight in the wake of #OscarsSoWhite. Yet while those hoping to check out the movie and see Saldana in the role for themselves can do so shortly, they won't get the full Nina experience — because the Nina soundtrack is nowhere to be heard.
As of mid-Apr., there is no indication that an official Nina soundtrack will be released to the masses, though it's quite possible the album is being kept under wraps until the film's release. Saldana is not credited as performing on the soundtrack on IMDB, and there is no trace of an official soundtrack on iTunes or Amazon. But fans shouldn't be too disappointed about the lack of music; they can, after all just buy Simone's original albums and listen to the legendary musician's own tracks.
Still, there's something to be said about having a Nina movie soundtrack that would be to give fans an album of Saldana performing as Simone. In February of 2013, the actor's co-star David Oyelowo, who is also a producer on the film, praised Saldana's singing in the film. "It was fantastic, surprisingly. Nina Simone is no joke in terms of her singing voice. I was pretty blown away," he told E! News . How much of Saldana's vocal performances will actually be included in the film, though, is unknown.
If Nina never releases a soundtrack, fans can easily get their hands on other versions of Simone classics. Netflix's Oscar-nominated documentary What Happened, Miss Simone? released a tribute album full of covers from artists like Lauryn Hill, Mary J. Blige (who was originally booked to portray the singer in Nina), and even Usher. Nina Revisited... A Tribute to Nina Simone is available for purchase on Amazon and iTunes, as well as available to stream on Spotify. Those looking for original Simone tracks can look to Miss Simone: The Hits, released around the same time as Nina Revisited, a compilation of 18 Simone songs. So Nina soundtrack or not, there'll certainly be no shortage of Simone songs to enjoy.
Images: RLJ Entertainment
