This nails our problem with “We Are the World 25.” It had a lot of rappers, but not much Huey Lewis. He could have brought the News with him! (Nice job, Jimmy Kimmel!)
This song is like seven minutes long. It’s like they couldn’t fit all the celebrities that wanted to help in a three-minute tune so they just made it longer and added lots of breakdowns. Including creepy appearances by a deceased Michael Jackson, who we’re sure would be helping if he were still alive (since he co-wrote the song). But that said, however misguided, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t help Haiti. So donate. Anyway, our recap of the video:
» Best moment: Lil’ Wayne busting out the autotune because he can’t sing at all. There was a rap breakdown, man. Why didn’t you bust out a couple of rhymes on that?
» Second best moment: Wyclef Jean throwing some vitality into that second chorus. He’s pretty much the most welcome voice on the whole production.
» Second worst moment: Teen super-heartthrob Justin Bieber singing the intro like a 12-year-old girl. Downright awful replacement for Lionel Richie.
» Worst moment: The rap breakdown, which we’re sure wasn’t in the original version. It wasn’t necessary for any other reason but to get more people on the record.
» Oddest celebrity cameo: Barbara Streisand, who barely – just barely – took this mantle from Tony Bennett. She was simply a downright strange choice.