Green Day, Stevie Wonder, The Killers to headline the Global Citizen Festival

Green Day, the Killers, and Stevie Wonder are just some of the big names set to invade New York City later this year for the 2017 Global Citizen Festival. On Tuesday (Aug. 1), the annual, good-cause music festival announced a diverse lineup for the 2017 incarnation of the musical event. Pharrell Williams, Big Sean, Andra Day, the Lumineers, Alessia Cara, and the Chainsmokers will also be featured on the lengthy bill. According to a press release from the music festival, more special guests will be announced over the upcoming weeks.

The goal of the Global Citizen organization is to ask their followers, referred to as Global Citizens, to hold their leaders accountable for major world issues. Prior to the big concert event, Global Citizen will be campaigning to create major changes in the areas of education, food security, healthcare, gender equality, and sanitation. In addition to that, the group also aims to end poverty, take on climate change, and fight all kinds of inequalities by 2030.

“We’re grateful to be a part of this year’s Global Citizen Festival,” begins Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong in a statement. “American aid programs make a significant difference in the betterment of lives at home and around the world, and we should all want these programs to become stronger, not weaker. We all play a part in seeing this mission through and it starts with calling on all our leaders.”

“In this crucial time, there is nothing more exciting to me than having the honor of giving my gift of song, words and motivation to the Global Citizen Festival,” said two-time performer Stevie Wonder. “When we commit ourselves to life issues, we are showing love of the Most High. I was, I am and will always be, a citizen connected to the spirit of everyone on this planet moving forward. Let’s go!”

“We can’t wait to get back to our hometown of New York City and play for 60,000 people who have done amazing things to change the world,” begins the Chainsmokers’ statement. “We are so thankful to our fans for getting online and taking action to support less fortunate people around the world. We’ll see you on Sept. 23!”

The 2017 Global Citizen Festival will take place on Sept. 23 at New York’s Central Park. According to the music festival’s website, they are expecting approximately 60,000 Global Citizens to attend the musical event. Like the past years, tickets for the show will be distributed via a lottery system. Fans can get involved and informed on how to become a Global Citizen by checking out the music festival’s website here.

BBC Form Supergroup to Cover Beach Boys Song

What happens when you get together tons of musicians for a worthy cause? Usually one hell of a song.

Thanks to the BBC, tons of musicians were asked to come together to cover the Beach Boys “God Only Knows” from Pet Sounds to officially launch of BBC Music. The TV spot featuring the reported 27 artists began to air yesterday (Oct. 7).

Pharrell Williams, Elton John, Chris Martin, Florence Welch, Stevie Wonder, Brian May, One Direction, Chrissie Hynde, Baaba Maal, Sam Smith, Lorde, Dave Grohl and many more can be spotted in the video. Also making the list of performers was Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys; how else do you pay homage to the guy (or band) that wrote and the song.

As if the long list of singers on the track wasn’t enough to get your head spinning, the BBC also used their 80-piece BBC Concert Orchestra on the song.

We warned you, epic might be an understatement. Give the track as listen.

When asked by The Guardian about the remake of the song, Wilson said: “All the artists did such a beautiful job. I can’t thank them enough. I’m just honored ‘God Only Knows’ was chosen. ‘God Only Knows’ is a very special song. An extremely spiritual song and one of the best I’ve ever written.”

The cover will be released as a single to raise funds for the BBC’s Children in Need charity. This isn’t the first time the BBC has done such a supergroup for charity. Back in 1997, the network released a version of Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” featuring Elton John, Bono, and Reed himself.

Artists Protesting Florida? Not So Fast

After the George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin ruling two weeks back, many artist have come out of the woodwork to protest the state of Florida over a reason that no one truly knows. Whether it’s the ruling (just for those that are not familiar, Zimmerman was found not guilty) or the actual “Stand Your Ground” law, artist were rumored to be protesting the state (you read right, the state, not just that particular city).

Word got around yesterday through the Huffington Post that artists such as Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, The Rolling Stones and many more would be staying clear from Florida due to the verdict outcome. The Monday after the verdict, Stevie Wonder had come out saying that he would not be entering the state of Florida for anything as a protest. Today, it turns out, many of the representatives are coming to the defense of their performers saying that their clients had never heard of or been contacted about the list.

American Urban Radio Network’s White House correspondent April Ryan first reported the list, claiming that she had gotten the information from credible  “sources close to the Stevie Wonder camp.” The Huffington Post had said that they were at the time trying to contact the artists’ representatives even though they had posted the list. At the time, the only representative that had gotten back to them was Rihanna’s who revealed that she was not involved. MotherJones got word that The Rolling Stones had not even heard about the campaign.

When doubt started to reach an all time high, Ryan released a statement on her website where she explains that she got a ext in the middle of the night from someone who were “in support of Stevie.” Her statement could be seen below:

I obtained from multiple sources early Monday a list of artists and entertainers who my sources told me had committed to a boycott of Florida following the George Zimmerman acquittal. Since publishing that list I have heard from several representatives of the artists named who say, on behalf of their clients, they are uncomfortable being identified on that list and are seeking additional information.

Additional representatives have come out to debunk that their clients, who were on the list, were even aware that their names had been put on the list of protesters, which begs the question, if Ryan didn’t put this list together then who did?

Supposedly protests not only those mentioned above, but also

• Mary Mary
• Eddie Levert
• Rod Stewart
• Madonna
• Usher
• Pattie Labelle
• Kanye West
• Mary J
• Trey Songz
• R. Kelly
• Alicia Keys
• Joe
• Will I AM
• Keyshia Cole
• Young Jeezy
• Erykah Badu
• Wale
• Frankie Beverly
• Parliament