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| Name = Yes We Can
| Name = Yes We Can
| Cover = Yes We Can.jpg
| Cover = Yes We Can.jpg
| Artist = [[will.i.am]] featuring [[Various Artists]]
| Artist = [[Barack Obama]] and [[will.i.am]] featuring [[Various Artists]]
| Album =
| Album =
| Released = [[February 2]], [[2008]] <small>([[YouTube]], Dipdive)</small>
| Released = [[February 2]], [[2008]] <small>([[YouTube]], Dipdive)</small>

Revision as of 09:12, 29 August 2008

This article is about the will.i.am song. For the Allen Toussaint song, see Yes We Can Can.
"Yes We Can"
Song

"Yes We Can" is a collage style music video inspired by a speech delivered by Senator 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]. It was honored with the first-ever Emmy Award for Best New Approaches in Daytime Entertainment [2].

Although the lyrics are entirely quotations from Sen. Obama's concession speech in the New Hampshire primary,[3] the Obama campaign had no involvement in its production.[4] 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.[5] The music video (which Joe Klein of Time later characterized as "brilliant")[6] premiered on the national media on ABC News Now's What's the Buzz entertainment program on February 1, 2008.[5] On February 2 it was featured on the Obama campaign's community blog,[7] and later promoted as a viral video by the campaign on its website.[8] Obama played the clip prior to a February 12 rally of nearly 20,000 at the Kohl Center on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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 July 22, 2008, the video had been watched over 21 million times on YouTube and other sites.[9] The video also won will.i.am a Webby Award for "Artist of the Year".[10] It was also criticized, however, by conservative commentators and even some Obama supporters for being over-the-top and worshipful.[11][12]

Will.i.am and John Legend performed the song on the final day of the 2008 Democratic National Convention at Invesco Field, Denver, Colorado.[13]

Guest appearances

The following celebrities were featured in the song and music video (time indicates first appearance on the official dipdive.com version):[14]

Parodies

"We Are the Ones"

"Yes We Can"
Song

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.

Guest appearances

See also

References

  1. ^ YouTube (2008). Yes We Can - Barack Obama Music Video. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
  2. ^ Video Awarded Emmy(R) for New Approaches in Daytime Entertainment. Emmy for 'Yes We Can' Song. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
  3. ^ Inspiration vs. Substance - TIME
  4. ^ Huffington Post (2008). Obama's Star-Studded YouTube Music Video. Retrieved February 11, 2008.
  5. ^ a b ABC News (2008). New Celeb-Filled Music Video for Obama. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
  6. ^ Inspiration vs. Substance - TIME
  7. ^ Obama for America (2008). The 'Yes We Can' Song. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
  8. ^ Obama for America (2008). Share this video and invite your friends to join our movement. Retrieved February 5, 2008.
  9. ^ Stelter, Brian (2008-03-27). "Finding Political News Online, the Young Pass It On". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-28.
  10. ^ Greene, Brittany (2008-05-06). "Will.i.am Wins a Webby". VIBE.com. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
  11. ^ Taranto, James (2008-02-07). "Obama, a Love Story". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
  12. ^ Stein, Joel (2008-02-08). "He's got Obamaphilia". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
  13. ^ Stirland, Sarah Lai (2008-08-28). "Will.I.Am: From Online Video To Convention Floor". Wired.com. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
  14. ^ Dipdive.com (2008). Credits. Retrieved February 6, 2008.
  15. ^ Obama Video Spawns McCain Spoofs - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News
  16. ^ YouTube - "Yes, We Shall" Music Video - Vote Cobra '08
  17. ^ MADtv - Kim Jong-Il & Friends "Yes I Can" Music Video
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