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"Yes We Can" is a collage style music video inspired by a speech delivered by Barack Obama following the 2008 New Hampshire primary, derived from similar union catch cries. The song was released on February 2, 2008 by the Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am on Dipdive.com and also on YouTube under the username 'WeCan08'. [1]
Although the lyrics are entirely quotations from Sen. Obama's concession speech in the New Hampshire primary,[2] the Obama campaign had no involvement in its production.[3] The viral music video, shot in a sparse black-and-white, features Barack Obama's image in collage fashion; the performers (celebrities including musicians, singers and actors) echo his words in a hip-hop call-and-response manner as his voice plays in the background. The song was produced by will.i.am; the music video was directed by Jesse Dylan, the son of singer Bob Dylan.[4] The music video (which Joe Klein of Time later characterized as "brilliant")[5] premiered on the national media on ABC News Now's What's the Buzz entertainment program on February 1, 2008.[4] On February 2 it was featured on the Obama campaign's community blog,[6] and later promoted as a viral video by the campaign on its website.[7]
Since the original posting on YouTube, the video has been re-posted a number of times by other users and as of February 23, 2008, the video had been watched a combined total of more than 12 million times among all of the postings. It had also been viewed more than 4 million times on Dipdive, for a combined web total of more than 16 million viewings. By March 27, 2008, the video had been watched over 17 million times on YouTube and other sites.[8] The video also won will.i.am a Webby Award for "Artist of the Year".[9]
[edit] Guest appearances
The following celebrities were featured in the song and music video (time indicates first appearance on the official dipdive.com version):[10]
[edit] Parodies
[edit] "We Are the Ones"
On February 29, 2008, will.i.am released another song on DipDive supporting Obama entitled "We Are the Ones". The music video also features celebrities, but is based on their opinions of Obama, with one line spoken by Obama near the end.
[edit] Guest appearances
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ YouTube (2008). Yes We Can - Barack Obama Music Video. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
- ^ Inspiration vs. Substance - TIME
- ^ Huffington Post (2008). Obama's Star-Studded YouTube Music Video. Retrieved February 11, 2008.
- ^ a b ABC News (2008). New Celeb-Filled Music Video for Obama. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
- ^ Inspiration vs. Substance - TIME
- ^ Obama for America (2008). The 'Yes We Can' Song. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
- ^ Obama for America (2008). Share this video and invite your friends to join our movement. Retrieved February 5, 2008.
- ^ Stelter, Brian. "Finding Political News Online, the Young Pass It On", The New York Times, 2008-03-27. Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
- ^ Greene, Brittany (2008-05-06). Will.i.am Wins a Webby. VIBE.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-06.
- ^ Dipdive.com (2008). Credits. Retrieved February 6, 2008.
- ^ Obama Video Spawns McCain Spoofs - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News
- ^ YouTube - "Yes, We Shall" Music Video - Vote Cobra '08
- ^ MADtv - Kim Jong-Il & Friends "Yes I Can" Music Video
[edit] External links
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