I’m not one to jump on a bandwagon just because it’s for a good cause, and I’m not going to praise a song just because it was made with very good intentions. It must be a great song first in order for me to even bring it up.
But this is a great song, and even better than the original USA for Africa version from 1985. What’s not to like? You’ve got Tony Bennett singing with Justin Bieber, and Celine Dion is singing with Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas. Michael Jackson’s disembodied voice sounds as sweet as it ever did, while Lil’ Wayne’s cheese-grater voice emphasizes the “choice we’re making”. Each artists was chosen to deliver a specific line, for the musical timbre of their voice, and each voice follows the other like instruments in a complicated symphony. It’s not a random arrangement of singers, and the arrangement is just better than the 1985, in the way that a second try will be better than a first try.
And then, five minutes into the seven-minute track, the rappers start rapping in unison, and if you still weren’t paying attention, you are now.
Best song in the charity-muliple-artist genre ever. It spiked when first released, debuting at #2. Four weeks later, it’s down to #66. Please buy it before it falls completely off of the charts. After all, it’s for a good cause.
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[…] February 27, 2010 #2. Artists for Haiti–We Are the World 25: For Haiti […]
[…] To comment on the above changes, Country is cool again, vocal virtuosity is less prominent, and baritone male voices are more prominent. Heavy Metal occasionally gets a spot on the charts (Three Day’s Grace’s Break, Godsmack’s Cryin’ Like a Bitch) . The themes of Money and Self-Actualization have subsided a bit, although they are still there (both are present in Kevin Rudolf’s “I Made It (Cash Money Heroes).” New themes include: Party-time (Tik-Tok, Party in the U.S.A., Shots), Sexual Prowess (Neighbor’s Know My Name, Sex Therapy, I Invented Sex); and, most encouraging, the earthquake in Haiti has prompted several Charity songs, most notably Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour) and last week’s Pick Hit Of The Week, We Are the World 2010. […]