In times of devastation and hardship, people go towards the objects, songs, or words that inspire them to not shallow away in fear. After the attacks of 9/11, our country was in a state of loss and alarm of not knowing where to find hope and what was to come. It was then in 2003 the iconic song “Where is the Love?” by The Black Eyed Peas was produced and it became the torch in the darkness. The song’s messages in response to the 9/11 attacks and other issues on terrorism, war, racism, pollution, violence against the LGBT community, and intolerance between people echoed out to everyone all over the country, having people join to see and act together to make positive change.
This week, the Black Eyed Peas just released an updated version of the song in time before the anniversary of 9/11. With a new beat, different artists singing in the song with the original group, and the original lyrics shifted around, the song brings out a new, inspiring and rejuvenating tone to the classic. The black and white music video that accompany’s the song as well is powerful, having a variety of celebrities shown in the video with images of acts of terror and violence that occurred this year scattered throughout it.
In an interview discussing the song, will.i.am explained why the reboot of the song was a project the group thought was important. "I remember when the attack in Paris happened, people would say 'We need 'Where Is the Love?' again,'" Will.i.am says in the preview video. "And then Belgium happened and then Turkey and then Orlando and then Philando and Alton before him, and then Dallas. Everyone was calling on us like, 'We need that song again.'"
The song itself has always had a powerful message, but the way it is connected to this time period now proves something more to its theme. The obstacles and problems we see and hear about everyday are ones that have kept increasing in magnitude. With the crisis in Syria and the Middle East, terror attacks in Europe, the enduring state of war and poverty in Africa, and the shootings and inequality disputes in the US, our world has been in a constant state of fear. There hasn’t been a day the world has seen where there was no conflict and only peace. That is why the name of the song, and the song is still relevant now more than ever: where is the love?
The new song, released on August 31st, comes out in a time when we remember past events like 9/11 that shook our world, the current events that are affecting our world, and in a time when we need to bring back hope to the world. If you haven’t listened to the song or seen the music video, you should now. It is time to find the love again.
