Jay-Z isn’t a huge fan of the recent “We Are the World†remake to raise money for Haiti relief, and surprisingly it has nothing to do with the fact that the cover opens with Justin Bieber singing. Jay said the Michael Jackson classic is one of those songs that should just be left alone:
“I know everybody is gonna take this wrong: ‘We Are the World,’ I love it, and I understand the point and think it’s great. But I think ‘We Are the World’ is like ‘Thriller’ to me. I don’t ever want to see it touched,†he said. “I’m a fan of music. I know the plight and everything that’s going on in Haiti. I applaud the efforts… but some things are just untouchable.â€
Jay said he believes producing new songs - like “Stranded,†which he performed with Bono, Rihanna and The Edge at the “Hope for Haiti Now†telethon—is the way to go, as it represents “their own take on how they felt.â€
The “World†remake, which features over 80 singers ranging from Barbra Streisand to Miley Cyrus, debuted Friday night at the Olympics Opening Ceremony and currently sits in the top spot on the iTunes singles chart.
Jay-Z didn’t want remake of ‘We Are the World’; compares it to ‘Thriller’ [NYDN]