Products You May Like
On Saturday night, dozens of musicians from across the genres joined forces to create a two-hour-long at-home concert spectacular which supported the World Health Organization and honored medical workers and others serving on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic response. One World: Together at Home was hosted by late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, and Stephen Colbert alongside Lady Gaga and Global Citizen and aired in unison across the major broadcast networks and on streaming devices.
The special was not the first of its kind to arrive in the era of social distancing — in fact, many of the same musicians who’d participated in Elton John’s living room concert, along with several of those artists who’d offered their own social media-based showcases for followers in isolation early on, were among those who participated in One World: Together at Home. However, the meaning of the moment still landed anew as singers offered lyrics of fellowship and encouragement alongside celebrity cameos and informative cutaways to feature those still working during the crisis and their own messages for the watching world.
These Pop Hits Took on New Meaning at Living Room Concert Coronavirus Benefit
There were some song segments that seemed to resonate a bit more than others, of course: Stevie Wonder paid tribute to the late great Bill Withers with a performance of his iconic anthem of togetherness, “Lean on Me”; Kacey Musgraves celebrated the chosen symbol of hope that has emerged amid all this with an emotional performance of “Rainbow”; Lizzo came through with a raw and warm delivery of “A Change Is Gonna Come”; Keith Urban got our feet tapping with his joyous take on an old favorite with “Higher Love”; Billie Joe Armstrong, a standout of the Living Room Concert, once again brought new significance to one of Green Day’s classic hits with “Wake Me Up When September Ends”; Burna Boy made us sway with his cozy performance of “African Giant” and “Hallelujah”; John Legend and Sam Smith aimed to soothe us all with their virtual duet of “Stand by Me”; The Rolling Stones got together, apart, for a rousing rendition of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”; Billie Eilish and Finneas made us a feel “Sunny” for the briefest of moments; Taylor Swift offered words of healing in her lyrics to “Soon You’ll Get Better”; and Celine Dion, Andrea Bocelli, and Lang Lang raised all the goose-flesh with their closing collaboration with Gaga and Legend on “The Prayer.”
In addition to all of the touching musical moments and thoughtful celebrity cameos — including those by Amy Poehler, Beyonce, Pharrell Williams, Matthew McConaughey, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong’o, and even former First Ladies Michelle Obama and Laura Bush — the late-night hosts also made sure to repeatedly put the spotlight where it belonged throughout the evening: on those whose names don’t make headlines, but definitely deserve to. From featuring the messages of doctors and nurses treating those patients fighting COVID-19 to honoring those delivering food and supplies to those in need to Kimmel’s own food delivery driver, “the two Jimmys” and Colbert certainly made sure audiences remembered who the real stars of the evening were.
According to the hosts, at least $50 million was raised in conjunction with this event from corporate donors for the WHO’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.
Lizzo, Lady Gaga, and Elton John, One World: Together at Home