Global Citizen, the World Health Organisation and Lady Gaga have brought together the biggest musical stars to show support for all the key workers. It was first shown on Saturday night in the USA and then later across the globe. I watched the UK version (hosted by Claudia Winkleman, Clara Amfo and Dermot O’Leary), so Dafny Flores has kindly agreed to tell you all about the American broadcast…
The event had many artists and celebrities expressing their support for the health care workers, educators, and essential workers through speeches and music. Above all, we, as viewers watched the superheroes launch their power and strength into action through pictures, videos, and interviews. The unfiltered visual media gave an insight of individuals affected by the pandemic around the world. Medical workers in heavy PPE, volunteers in motion to help people in need, and children to lift the spirits.
Yet, One World uncovered a group of people that seem to go unnoticed in the line of hardship: homeless people. The impact of the virus has added to the daily distress the homeless community face. While the viewers are in the comfort of their homes, many realised the privilege they have. Some heroes are disguised as normal individuals like Love Beyond Walls, Beauty2 the Streetz, and Covenant House, who are helping in this time of need.
One of my favourite moments from the show was when Claudia surprised NHS midwife Sam. Sam has moved into a hotel, so she can continue working while not putting her husband, who has a severe kidney disease, at risk. That also means that Sam’s 9-year-old daughter, Rosie, has taken on her mum’s caring responsibilities. Claudia crashed their daily video call and brought some familiar faces with her. The joyous reaction to Miriam Margoyles and Rupert Grint joining the video call made me shed a few tears. It was a lovely moment.
Standout Performances
All the performances were terrific, but I have managed to narrow them down to five standouts.
Little Mix – “Touch”
This was an exclusive performance from the British show. Although the girls are quarantined separately, they still came together for an incredible acoustic performance of Touch. The harmonies were outstanding. All the girls’ vocals were on point as usual, but I have to give an extra round of applause to Leigh-Anne.
Lady Gaga – “Smile”
The curator of this event sang a very pertinent cover of “Smile” by Nat King Cole. She showed off her piano skills along with her beautiful vocals. Lady Gaga, in conjunction with Global Citizen, has persuaded lots of large companies to donate to the World Health Organisation’s Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund and has raised an incredible $127.9 million!
She has delayed her album release due to the Coronavirus crisis. She recently released the tracklist for Chromatica and there are some very exciting collaborations on it, including Ariana Grande and Blackpink.
Stevie Wonder – “Lean On Me/Love’s In Need of Love Today”
Stevie Wonder paid tribute to his late friend Bill Withers. He mashed up his friend’s enduring hit “Lean On Me” and his song “Love’s In Need Of Love Today.” The stunning performance showed that time had not taken anything away from his amazing vocals.
Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello – “What A Wonderful World”
A few weeks ago, Shawn and Camila did their own Together at Home concert on Instagram Live; it had 250k viewers. They have been video calling children in hospitals to cheer them up and donating food to hospitals. They have also been using this time to learn new skills: Shawn is teaching Camila the guitar and she is teaching him Spanish.
The young couple’s beautiful cover of Louis Armstrong’s song felt very poignant at this time, particularly the lyric “All the pain that we’ve been through, All the tears and the hurt, I still think to myself, What a wonderful world.”
Taylor Swift – “Soon You’ll Get Better.”
Taylor wrote this song during her mom’s battle with cancer. She said she would never perform it because it would be too hard for her not to break down in tears, but she felt it was too relevant to people whose relatives are sick and alone to miss this opportunity. The emotion in her voice was easy to hear. Taylor’s performance especially touched many people because she knows exactly what they’re going through.
Featured image via @glblctzn
