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  • Stranded

    We’ve told you about the Haiti charity singles that are soon to be released such as the Simon Cowell All-Star version of Everybody Hurts and the 25th Anniversary 2010 version of We Are The World. I wanted to give props to another song that was put together for the same reason.

    While we haven’t heard the final update to the We Are The World remake, I’m going to guess that it won’t be able to match the perfect combination of Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Bono on Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour).

    I didn’t watch the Hope For Haiti special live. But I did go on iTunes and download both the album and concert broadcast. I thought all of the songs performed by Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, and others came straight from the heart. The performances were subdued and the artists let their voices shine as to not overshadow the goal of the evening, which was to raise money for Haiti.

    Save for Shakira’s I’ll Stand By You, which I simply couldn’t get into because of her wailing, I enjoyed everything. It was a perfect evening, not only for the money that was raised for Haiti, but also for how the music community showed that once again it can come together when needed.

    The best thing I heard that night, and maybe the best thing I’ve heard in a long time was Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour). From Jay-Z’s whispery delivery, “When the sky falls and the earth quakes, we gon’ put this back together, we won’t break,” to Rihanna and Bono complimenting each other on the chorus, it’s a song that I hope becomes timeless.

    If you haven’t heard it or seen the performance, it’s definitely worth checking out.

  • Simon Cowell’s Haiti Tribute – Everybody Hurts

    Simon Cowell’s Haiti tribute song has been in the works for at least two weeks according to CNN’s Showbiz site.

    The song is a cover of the old REM tune, Everybody Hurts. Sharing the microphone in this version are Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams, and Cowell’s recent finds, Susan Boyle and Leona Lewis. Lewis is the girl who sounds exactly like 1991 Mariah Carey in the tune.

    According to the article, they will split the proceeds between two charities.

    Proceeds from the single’s sale will be split between the Disasters Emergency Committee and the “Helping Haiti” appeal in aid of Doctors Without Borders, or Médecins Sans Frontières.

    A video and the release of the single are set for next week.

  • We Are The World – 25 For Haiti Update

    Though we don’t have all the details of the new We Are The World song, some details are trickling out.

    Here are some of the things which I have heard or read:

    – Justin Bieber is supposedly singing Lionel’s opening line. “There comes a time…” Don’t you need bass in your voice to sing that part?

    – Lil’ Wayne is scheduled to sing Bob Dylan’s original part and he thought they were playing a joke on him when told him.

    – Celine Dion is going to sing Cyndi Lauper’s part, which is one of the more famous parts of the original video. I don’t think she’ll have the wacky hair though unfortunately.

    – Janet Jackson was rumored to be singing Michael Jackson’s bridge, but there’s also talk that MJ’s voice will be used somehow. Maybe MJ’s “shalah-shalingay” chorus that he recorded for the demo will finally see the light of day?

    – Hip hop will be represented in the new version. Some of the rumored stars include T-Pain, Kanye West, Bizzy Bone, Kid Cudi, LL Cool J, Snoop Dogg, Drake, Mann, Nipsey Hussle, Busta Rhymes and Swizz Beatz. Don’t ask me who Mann and Nipsey Hussle are because I have no clue.

    – We may see the premiere of the video on the first day of the Winter Olympics.

    MTV.com has some video of the Monday night recording session which I’ve added below.