To say I'm not a fan of charity songs is putting it lightly. It's not just that the songs are bland, but they often seem more like promotion for the acts involved rather than promotion for the causes they are supposed to support. The biggest example is 1985's "We Are The World," which, to many, is one of the worst records ever recorded. Having this song chart with other records was a major mistake since people bought other records for the actual quality.
Still, USA for Africa organizers were so happy to announce that it was one of the biggest selling singles ever. Since "We Are The World," we've had more charity disasters such as "Hands Across America," "Voices That Care," and music's most disastrous single ever, Elton John's "England's Rose." Elton John's record, released immediately after the death of Princess Diana, came across as an exploitation of Princess Diana's death rather than a charity single. After all, calling the song a charity record, having people buy it for that purpose, and then using those sales to promote it as a "number one hit" not only left a bad taste, but it was the only way Elton could ever score a hit at the time.
Now, Madonna enters the Charity Hall of Fame (or Shame) with "Hey You" and when this record arrived in my email box, I really didn't want to listen to it. Madonna's last album, Confessions on a Dancefloor, sold over ten million copies worldwide. Her tour in support of the album was the most successful tour ever by a female artist. Her recent clothing line for H&M has been a major success, despite mixed reviews. So why does she have to do the charity gig now?
I was even more disappointed when I read that the song was produced with Pharrell Williams. He's a good producer, but Madonna has always been ahead of the game rather than jumping on the hit bandwagon. What's next, Madonna and Justin Timberlake? Oops! It looks like that's already happening. Anyhow, I hesitantly gave the song a spin and was surprisingly hooked the first time.
"Hey You" is about helping make the world a better place. She sings, "Hey you, don't you give up/It's not so bad, there's still a chance for us," at the opening and towards the end, sings the clichéd "First love yourself then you can love someone else" repeatedly. But even if the lyrics are slightly clichéd, Madonna gives her best vocal performance since the Evita years and adds feeling when the lyrics falter.
The production on this record is outstanding. It also proves that Madonna brings more to the table on her own records than her critics give her credit for because this sounds absolutely nothing like a song Pharrell Williams would produce. The acoustic guitars at the beginning lead to an instrumental chorus that is simple and touching. The production seems inspired by some of John Lennon's later records, especially "Imagine."
One can only hope that this is the sound Madonna will opt for on her next album rather than the rumored (gag) hip hop sound. "Hey You" is not scheduled to be released as a radio single as of yet, and that's a good choice. "Hey You" is far different than most of the songs played on radio stations today because it is actually a decent song. If Madonna is looking for any type of airplay, she needs to hire Rent-a-Rapper. For now, Madonna's fans can be happy that unlike many of her peers from the eighties, she is still a creative force to be reckoned with.
Written by Daryl D
source : blogcritics.org
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