Karwai Tang/WireImageBack in 2003, The Black Eyed Peas scored their breakthrough single “Where Is the Love” with some help from Justin Timberlake, who co-wrote and sang on it. Now, will.i.am and the Peas have reworked the song into a piano ballad called “The Love,” with help from Jennifer Hudson.
The new version of the song has some different lyrics, but it keeps the song’s memorable chorus: “People killin’ people dyin’/Children hurtin’, hear them cryin’/Can you practice what you preach?/And would you turn the other cheek?/Father, father, father, help us/Send some guidance from above/’Cause people got me, got me questioning/Where is the love?”
The song comes with a black-and-white video that incorporates footage of will and J-Hud singing, people making the “heart” sign with their hands, footage of protests and social unrest, and huge chunks of Joe Biden‘s speech from the Democratic National Convention this past year.
“These words are an important appeal to bring America back, to restore our humanity, decency, transparency and so many things that have deteriorated during the past three years,” will tells the U.K.’s Metro, explaining why he included Biden’s speech in the video.
“We used to be the beacon of Democracy and the lure of ‘the American Dream’ — that if you get a good education and work hard you can build a good life for yourself and your family,” will continues. “It sounds simplistic but we need to get back to this.”
“Racist hate is an alarming level,” he adds. “So many unnecessary deaths, so many people out of work and losing their homes too.”
Among the celebs retweeting the video: Sandra Oh, Debra Messing, Rosario Dawson, Cedric the Entertainer, Mariah Shriver, and Mike Bloomberg.
By Andrea Dresdale
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