“We Are the World” BY: BRANDON BURKE

The Original Song   Written in January 1985 by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson.  Project was started by Harry Belafonte got the idea from the song “Do They Know it’s Christmas?” (  Performed by super group “USA for Africa” (United Support of Artists for Africa)  Made up of 47 performers (only 2 of which were not American)  Sale of the record alone raised over $60 million which went to combat famine in Africa (specifically Ethiopian famine)

We Are the World- 25 for Haiti  Made in reaction to the magnitude 7 earthquake that hit Haiti on January 12, 2010  Created under the “We Are the World Foundation”  The song was produced by Wyclef Jean with the help of Quincy Jones and recorded in the same studio as the 1985 original.  The new version had over 75 artists and was released on February 12, 2010  Included a rap segment and auto tune  A YouTube version and Spanish version were also released in response to the new song.

Musical Composition/Performance  USA for Africa version:  Consisted of simple drums, piano, and strings put together by MJ  Basic and calm chorus  Easy to remember  Video is not flashy, just the singers in a studio  We Are the World foundation version:  Consisted of the same chord progressions with a fresher sound  Same chorus (Wyclef singing in Creole in second verse)  Rap section  Auto tune  Same video style with clips from Haiti intertwined

Impact The song was one of the first songs of its kind to not create an “us versus them” dichotomy, but more of an “us AND them” to bring unity and awareness toward the issue. The issue that the song protested against was not a person or opposing group, it was the issues of famine and disease. Although it can be seen as very tough to combat an unseen enemy, the song and both foundations affiliated with the song made it very plain and simple that donations would help combat the problems in Africa and Haiti. The song also is highly recognizable and works at showing how diverse artists can come together and spark change.

Questions/Points to Consider  Some critics say the remake of the song is too Hollywood and takes away from the original meaning behind the song due to the rap section, auto tune and amount of artists.  Could some of the biggest stars of this year potentially get together and do the same thing with the same effect?  How effective was the video in making listeners focus on the actual message?  Can/Should the song ever be remixed again?

THANK YOU!