"Sing" | ||||
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Single by Annie Lennox featuring Various artists | ||||
from the album Songs of Mass Destruction | ||||
Released | 1 December 2007 | |||
Length | 4:48 | |||
Label | RCA | |||
Songwriter(s) | Annie Lennox | |||
Producer(s) | Glen Ballard | |||
Annie Lennoxsingles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Annie Lennox - Sing (Official Video)" on YouTube |
"Sing" is a song recorded by Scottish singer Annie Lennox for her fourth solo studio album, Songs of Mass Destruction (2007). It was released as the second single from the album on 1 December 2007 by RCA Records. Lennox was inspired to write the track after seeing South African activist Zackie Achmat at Nelson Mandela's 46664 HIV/AIDS concert. She wanted the track to be a source of empowerment for people without a voice of their own. It also gave rise to her SING Campaign which aimed to raise funds and awareness for issues surrounding HIV/AIDS. "Sing" was produced by Glen Ballard and interpolates the South African tune "Jikelele";the music was given to Lennox by an activist group called The Generics.
Lennox personally invited other musicians and singers to work on the track. Ultimately 23 singers were enlisted,who recorded guest vocals on the chorus of the song in different locations. Among them,American singer Madonna also sang the second verse. "Sing" was accompanied by a number of remixes released on the same date. A music video was also released to promote the track. Lennox also performed it throughout the United States as part of her SING campaign. Music critics noted the empowering and anthemic nature of the track,recalling Lennox's previous work. It had minor chart placements on the UK Singles Chart,and the US Adult Contemporary and Dance Club Songs charts.
Lennox was attending a benefit held by former South African president Nelson Mandela's 46664 HIV/AIDS campaign in 2003. There she was surprised to see a man wearing a black t-shirt with the message "I am HIV positive" written in capital letters. She found it to be a bold statement and inquired about the man,who turned out to be Zackie Achmat,a South African activist,film director,and co-founder of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC). Although the singer had been associated with the 46664 campaign,being introduced to Achmat gave her an opportunity to do more for the campaign and the project. [1]
We need people like [Achmat],he fights the fight... He refused to take his anti-retroviral medication unless it was made affordable and available to everyone—a hugely courageous thing to do. Before then,I'd been frustrated because I wanted to be more hands-on. I just feel that TAC are doing it where it needs to happen. It really needed to be given support,and I thought that perhaps I might be well-placed to do it. [1]
Lennox was ultimately inspired to develop "Sing" based on Achmat's activism on behalf of HIV and AIDS afflicted people. A group of activists called The Generics had given her a CD of music,and Lennox combined her inspiration and one of the songs from the CD to compose "Sing". It ultimately became a collaboration between Lennox and 23 prominent female singers. [1] Afterwards,it was included on Lennox's fourth solo studio album, Songs of Mass Destruction (2007). "Sing" was released as the second single from the album for digital download on 1 December 2007. [2]
Afterwards,Lennox developed The SING Campaign which aimed to raise funds and awareness for issues surrounding HIV/AIDS. She also wrote on her official website that the song is about raising money and awareness for what she considers to be an HIV/AIDS genocide. Citing Mandela's speech in which he said,"Let us use the universal language of music,to sing out our message around the world",Lennox wanted "Sing" to be an anthem and symbol of unity and empowerment,to help spread awareness in the world. [3] "Because the incidence of HIV AIDS is on the rise for women,especially in the pandemic across the whole of the African continent,I thought perhaps I could be of benefit by writing a song and empowering those women who do not have an international voice," the singer clarified. [4]
"Sing" incorporates the South African activist song "Jikelele",which translates into "global treatment". Developed by The Generics,"Jikelele" was used as theme for Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programs across South Africa. [3] After writing it,Lennox wanted to ask other renowned artists to contribute vocals to the song. She wrote a generic letter to many and waited for a response. Although some of the artists were not available,many answered in the affirmative,and ultimately 23 singers were enlisted. [1]
"Sing" features" primary vocals by Lennox and American singer Madonna;the latter sings solo on the second verse. Apart from them,the line-up consists of:Anastacia,Isobel Campbell,Dido,Céline Dion,Melissa Etheridge,Fergie,Beth Gibbons,Faith Hill,Angélique Kidjo,Beverley Knight,Gladys Knight,k.d. lang,Sarah McLachlan,Beth Orton,Pink,Bonnie Raitt,Shakira,Shingai Shoniwa,Joss Stone,Sugababes,KT Tunstall and,Martha Wainwright. [5] Since accommodating all the singers would have posed a scheduling challenge,Lennox asked them to contribute vocals on the chorus of the song. When she received the recorded vocals from Madonna,Lennox found that Madonna had not only sung during the chorus,but also contributed by singing the second verse. She "was really touched –for Madonna is very rigorous in what she gets involved in and for her to do that for me,I was thrilled to bits". [1] Lennox also admitted that featuring Madonna would bring a bigger audience for the song,thereby helping the cause. [4] The refrain consists of an "empowering message" with the group of singers belting the line "Sing my sister Sing! / Let your voice be heard" while interpolating "Jikelele" in between. [6] According to Jon Pareles of The New York Times ,"Sing" consists of a piano played in the background reminiscent of Marvin Gaye's 1968 single,"I Heard It Through the Grapevine". [7]
In an interview with Performing Songwriter magazine,producer Glen Ballard recalled that he completed the recording of the featured artists in various locations,conducting the sessions through the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN):"Shakira in Puerto Rico,Pink in Zurich,Madonna in London etc". [4] Lennox contacted British Indian musician Nitin Sawhney to work on an alternate version of the song. [5] Her official website also announced the release of special remixes of the track on 1 December 2007,with contributions from Moto Blanco,Dean Coleman and Harry "Choo Choo" Romero among others. [2]
Thom Jurek from AllMusic described "Sing" as a "huge feminist anthem" and described it as consisting of a "killer hook,a big bad soul/gospel refrain,and a beat that,once it gets into the spine,will not be easily dismissed". [8] Boston Globe 's Sarah Rodman compared it to the Eurythmics' 1985 single "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" adding that it carried Lennox's characteristic messages of "optimism and empowerment". [9] Liz Hoggard of The Guardian called the song a "showstopper" and the collaboration as "incandescent". [10] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine also noted the anthemic nature of the track and its "smartly plays more like a broad-spectrum sisters-are-doin’-it-for-themselves" nature,while believing that it would have been better suited as the album's title song than Songs of Mass Destruction. [11] Similar thoughts were echoed by Chris Jones of BBC News who felt that "Sing" was able to "overcome its weighty agenda to take life as a great song in its own right". [12]
Stephen Errity from Hot Press called "Sing" the album's "magnum opus" and a return to Lennox singing torch songs. He described it as a female point of view version of Band Aid's "Feed the World" but felt that the message got lost in the actual "gospel-tinged" composition. [13] A music video for the song was released on the MSN website on 29 November 2007. [14] Lennox toured throughout the United States promoting the SING campaign,and also performed the song. [15]
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Credits adapted from CD single liner notes. [16]
Chart (2007) | Peak position |
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Russia Airplay (Tophit) [20] | 129 |
UK Singles (Official Charts Company) [21] | 161 |
US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) [22] | 29 |
US Dance Club Songs ( Billboard ) [23] | 18 |
Ann Lennox is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician Dave Stewart went on to achieve international success in the 1980s as Eurythmics. Appearing in the 1983 music video for "Sweet Dreams " with orange cropped hair and wearing a man's lounge suit, the BBC wrote, "all eyes were on Annie Lennox, the singer whose powerful androgynous look defied the male gaze". Subsequent hits with Eurythmics include "There Must Be an Angel ", "Love Is a Stranger" and "Here Comes the Rain Again".
Medusa is the second solo studio album by Scottish singer Annie Lennox, released on 6 March 1995 by RCA Records. It consists entirely of cover songs. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number one and peaked in the United States at number 11, spending 60 weeks on the Billboard 200. It has since achieved double platinum status in both the United Kingdom and the United States. As of 2018, Medusa had sold over six million copies worldwide.
46664 was a series of AIDS benefit concerts played in honour of Nelson Mandela by South African and foreign musicians between 2003 and 2008.
"Why" is the debut solo single of Scottish singer-songwriter Annie Lennox, released on 16 March 1992. It was taken from her debut solo album, Diva (1992), and reached number five in the United Kingdom. In the United States, "Why" peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number six on the Adult Contemporary chart. It was also a big hit internationally, reaching number one in Italy and peaking within the top 10 in Belgium, Canada, Ireland and five other countries. Its music video was directed by Sophie Muller. Stereogum ranked "Why" number one on their list of "The 10 Best Annie Lennox Songs" in 2015.
"Angel" is a song by American singer Madonna from her second studio album Like a Virgin (1984). It was released on April 10, 1985, by Sire Records as the album's third single. Written by Madonna and Steve Bray, it was one of the first songs developed for the project and, according to Madonna, was inspired by a girl who is saved by an angel, and she falls in love with him. "Angel" was released as a 12-inch single with "Into the Groove" in some countries and charted likewise. A music video was not filmed for "Angel", and instead, a promotional clip comprising segments of her previous videos was released in the United Kingdom.
"The Voice Within" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera from her fourth studio album, Stripped (2002). The song was written by Aguilera and Glen Ballard, with production handled by Ballard. It is a piano-driven ballad that talks about trusting oneself and one's instincts. "The Voice Within" was released as the fifth and final single from Stripped on October 27, 2003, by RCA Records.
"Cherish" is a song by American singer Madonna from her fourth studio album, Like a Prayer (1989). It was written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, and was released by Sire Records as the album's third single on August 1, 1989. "Cherish" was built around the themes of love and relationships, with William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet being one of the major inspirations. The track also included a line from "Cherish" by the 1960s band the Association. Musically constructed as a doo-wop-style pop song, it is regarded as a light-hearted track by critics and includes instruments such as a drum machine, percussions, keyboards and a saxophone. Lyrically, it speaks of Madonna's devotion to her lover, and her promise to be always by his side. "Cherish" was included on Madonna's greatest hits compilations The Immaculate Collection (1990) and Celebration (2009).
"Oh Father" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her fourth studio album Like a Prayer (1989). It was released as the fourth single from the album on October 24, 1989, by Sire Records. The song was not released as a single in most European territories until December 24, 1995, when it appeared on the 1995 ballads compilation Something to Remember. Written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, "Oh Father" concerns the presence of male authoritative figures in Madonna's life, most prominently her father, Tony Ciccone. Madonna's relationship with her father had soured after her mother's death in 1963 and his remarriage three years later. While developing the Like a Prayer album, Madonna was in an emotional state of mind due to her personal problems, which is reflected in "Oh Father".
Diva is the debut solo studio album by Scottish singer Annie Lennox, released on 6 April 1992 by RCA Records. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number one and has since sold over 1.2 million copies in the UK alone, being certified quadruple platinum. Diva was the 7th best selling album of 1992 in the United Kingdom. In the United States, it reached number 23 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified double platinum.
Bare is the third solo studio album by Scottish singer Annie Lennox, released in Europe on 5 June 2003 by 19 Recordings and RCA Records and in North America on 10 June 2003 by J Records. It peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart and number four on the US Billboard 200. The album has been certified Gold in both the UK and the US and was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 46th Grammy Awards.
"Love Song for a Vampire" is a song composed and recorded by Scottish singer-songwriter Annie Lennox. It was recorded for Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 film, Bram Stoker's Dracula based on the 1897 gothic horror novel, where it plays during the end credits. Produced by Stephen Lipson, it was released in February 1993 by RCA and BMG as a double A-side with "Little Bird" in Ireland, the United Kingdom and several other countries in Europe. The single was a hit, peaking at number three on the UK and Irish Singles Charts. "Love Song for a Vampire" by itself reached number four in Spain and number ten in France. The music video for the song was directed by Sophie Muller, featuring footage from Bram Stoker's Dracula.
Shingai Elizabeth Maria Shoniwa, known professionally as Shingai is a British singer, songwriter, musician, and actress, best known as the vocalist and bassist for the English indie rock band Noisettes. In 2017, she launched her solo career and released her debut solo album in 2020.
Songs of Mass Destruction is the fourth solo studio album by Scottish singer Annie Lennox, released on 1 October 2007 by RCA Records and 19 Recordings. It was her first album of new material since 2003's Bare and to date her most recent of original material.
"Precious" is a song by Scottish singer and songwriter Annie Lennox, released on 25 May 1992 as the second single from her debut solo album, Diva (1992). It peaked at number 23 in the UK and was a top 10 hit in Italy. The B-side, "Step by Step", was later covered by Whitney Houston for the soundtrack of her 1996 film, The Preacher's Wife, and became a top 10 hit. "Precious" is unrelated to the B-side track of the same name on the single "Revival" by Eurythmics.
"No More 'I Love You's'" is a song written by British musicians David Freeman and Joseph Hughes and recorded by them as the Lover Speaks. It was released in June 1986 as the lead single from their self-titled debut album. The song was covered by the Scottish singer Annie Lennox and became a commercial success for her in 1995, reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart.
"The Greatest Hit" is a song by Norwegian singer Annie. It was written and produced by Annie and DJ Tore "Erot" Kroknes. The song samples Madonna's 1982 debut single "Everybody", and she received a co-writing credit. The track was released as a limited edition 7-inch single in 1999. It became an underground club hit in Norway and the United Kingdom. Retitled "Greatest Hit", the song was later included on Annie's debut album, Anniemal (2004).
The SING Campaign is a UK-based, non-governmental, nonprofit organization founded by artist/activist Annie Lennox which aims to raise funds and awareness for issues surrounding HIV/AIDS. The money raised by SING is used to help prevent the spread of HIV in South Africa, and also to support those currently living with HIV. Comic Relief manages the SING fund, and assists in co-ordinating the SING campaign.
"Digging Your Scene" is a song recorded by English band the Blow Monkeys for their second studio album, Animal Magic (1986). The single was released in February 1986 as the second one from the parent record. It was written by lead singer Dr. Robert, while Howard, Peter Wilson, and Adam Moesley produced it. Musically a pop, soul, and jazz song, "Digging Your Scene" discusses the hatred and disgust that is associated with individuals who have HIV and AIDS. Several media professionals felt the song's subject matter would be the subject of criticism.
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