As previously reported by Music Times, Lady Gaga recently released the new music video for her track, "Til It Happens To You, " co-written by Diane Warren, which details the stories of four college-aged sexual assault survivors, Annie E. Clark, Andrea L. Pino, Sofie Karasek and Kamilah Willingham. The music video received an enormous response and almost 12 million views online and is the bone-chilling theme for The Hunting Ground, a documentary film by Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick about sexual assault on college campuses. The four sexual assault survivors upon whom the film is based wrote a letter of gratitude to both Diane Warren and Gaga for their help in spreading the word.
"The release of your song will have an unparalleled impact on the culture of campuses nationwide," they wrote according to The Hollywood Reporter, "Imagine a survivor who, after hearing your song, no longer feels isolated and alone. Picture that survivor's friend, telling the survivor that it's not her fault... We want to thank you both for having the courage to write and perform this song and for allowing your talent, your music, your lyrics and your voices to tell our stories."
Warren responded with, "The letter from survivors from the documentary The Hunting Ground that was sent to Lady Gaga and me made me cry. I am humbled by this brave and beautiful letter and being able to write a song that can not only speak to this cause, but can hopefully help bring some healing as well," Billboard reported.
The Hunting Ground premiered at Sundance Film Festival this year and is also due to air on CNN with both the film itself and the track accompanying it swirling in the news. The music video is the highest ranking video Gaga has ever released and is sitting at No. 4 on both Billboard and Twitter's "Top Tracks Chart." The music video was directed by Twilight's Catherine Hardwicke.
