Country superstar Kenny Chesney has joined forces with the legendary reggae group the Wailers on the new song "Spread the Love." According to Rolling Stone, the song was written for charity with the proceeds from all sales going directly to the Spread the Love Fund, which provides prosthetic limbs and post-prosthetic care to victims who were injured in the Boston Marathon bombing.
"I was having a day off in Florida when the Boston Marathon bombing happened and I just remember feeling so angry for all those people and wanting to do something to help," Chesney told them. "But how do you undo that? It dawned on me — what had been this incredible experience, writing with the Wailers, was something more — an opportunity to heal spirits."
The song is a departure from Chesney's country repertoire as he tests out his roots reggae chops. You'd think it would be an awkward combination, but it actually works well. It is built off the traditional one-drop rhythm and grooves the whole way through.
The video begins with text from Psalms saying, "Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous." Then Jamaican school children chant "Spread the love, spread the love all over the world." The footage alternates from images of locals, scenery and Chesney and the Wailers in the studio recording.
Learn more about the Spread the Love Fund here. "Spread the Love" is available for purchase now on iTunes. Check it the video for the track here, and let us know what you think in the comments section below!
