World Humanitarian Day was yesterday, Sunday, August 19th. More than a week ago, Beyonce made an appearance at the United Nations ahead of World Humanitarian Day, and she performed “I Was Here” before the general assembly. “I Was Here” is the song written by Diane Warren, which appears on Beyonce’s album 4. I actually have this song on my iPod and I listen to it sometimes while I’m working out, mostly because of the emotional impact of the song and how it makes me work out harder, for whatever reason. While I didn’t really care for Bey’s last album at all, that song – and Beyonce’s vocals in particular – is a winner. So Beyonce decided to do a really nice thing with the song. She’s dedicated the song, and her United Nations performance to World Humanitarian Day. Beyonce released the video of her UN performance, and I don’t have any qualms about admitting that this video made me cry:
Bey asked other artists to come out and support World Humanitarian Day, and Beyonce issued a statement saying:
”It says, “I want to leave my footprints in the sands of time” and it basically is all of our dreams, I think. And that’s leaving our mark on the world. I feel like we all want to know that our life meant something. We all have our purpose, and we all have our strengths…it feels so wonderful to do something for someone else. And I think for the U.N. to want to include the whole world was something important, and I feel like that’s what I represent. We all see the headlines and we think what can I really do to help? World Humanitarian Day is an opportunity for all of us to work together to make a difference. This is our time to leave our mark on the world and show that we were here and we care.”
The goal is to encourage more people to volunteer and “share 1 billion messages of hope.” CNN has a really nice piece on World Humanitarian Day here – I didn’t know the day was such a recent thing. It only began in 2003, after 22 UN staffers were killed in Baghdad in one bombing.
Screencaps from the video, photo from Beyonce’s Tumblr.
Proud of my home girl B representing H town.
Nice performance. Nice song. She wears that dress nicely.
Thank you. I thought she looked stunning. Whether some think this was genuine or not is irrelevant. They asked her to do this because they knew her name would bring much attention to the cause and it did. Did any of you do anything? I bought a bunch of school supplies and donated them to my local schools.
Fantastic.
Wow, what a sacrifice she made. A real Mother Theresa.
LoL. Just wanted to clarify that you are being sarcastic, right?
Lol. What are her volunteer activities? Not everyone is high profile like Angelina, but does Beyonce DO volunteer? She seems a bit high maintenance for that.
LOL. Was just thinking that. She has a lot of nerve pretending she’s making a difference. Hey Bey, you’re singing in front of a video backdrop of suffering people – then you’re returning to your 6 (?) month old kid who has diamond rattles and shitloads of jewelry.
+1
What to say, it is a very serious subject, especially for the UN who lost some very valuable and powerful people in the 2003 bombing. It is part of the reason why they are now withdrawing from Syria – in their estimate it is simply too dangerous. Only thing is, one should never give up, and especially not the UN! I am sure Sergio de Mello who died in the 2003 incident would agree!
On a lighter note, she looks like she borrowed one of her ‘friend’ KK’s retired outfits, what to do with those big behinds…
Wow! Love it. I sat in the UN General Assembly Hall recently about a month ago when I took a translation exam (would love to be a translator for the UN). That room is so overwhelming!
It’s a beautiful song and a nice gesture sure but when it’s Beyoncé (or Jay Z) I’m reluctant to believe it’s genuine.
I remember the Occupy Wall Street crap Jay Z pulled, he barely puts in money in to his own charity.
Beyoncé is a diva and while she does lend her face to charity work, I wonder how much heart and money goes in to it. The song was originally about B worrying about HER impact on the world as a performer, not about peace, people who are selfless in trying to change the world and the poor.
I’m sure some people are inspired by the 1% singing/talking about doing something good so good for them. Famous people can bring a lot of attention to causes, if that’s the push that some people need then fine.
ITA I feel the only sincere thing these two do is fill their respective bankaccounts and work on their public image. Somehow they get most people to buy into it. Well played.
One day she sings for the Gadhafi clan and another she’s all about peace. Yeah, kind of hard to really believe her 🙂
Love the song and the video
nice song. too bad the UN is such an impotent organization.
The song is beautiful and the sentiment is beautiful, but I was uncomfortable with a lot of the background imagery.
Showing refugees clamouring for water or injured people crying at the worst point in their lives (real people, real footage, not actors) in an attempt to generate emotions as part of a performance by a First World multi-millionaire… meh. Not crazy about it.
I agree.
How about donating a couple of them millions? I hate when celebrites act like they care, especially when you’re spending 6 figs on your 6 mth old babys wardrobe.
If she donated a few million people would call her a famewhore that is just trying to get attention. And that her charity is self-serving.
Side with hanna gillian freya nm6804; when materialistic famewhores like these two pony up 5 to 8 per cent of their ample incomes for charities then I’ll drop my cynicism. Remember camel sold OWS t-shirts and then KEPT the profits until he was called out. They are narcissists, and Miss aphrodite has avoided all questions about the Ghadafy event. On a larger point, most on these sites i would guess lean to the liberal side, but if you want to read on honest account of who really gives, read Albert Brooks book who really gives. Truth to say, all libs aren’t necessarily as charitable as they like to think. But fakeonyce and camel aren’t anything but narcissists so they don’t even factor into the discussion. Oh, her music is crap, i’ll take tina turner or janis joplin over this robotized chick any day.
🙁
“They are narcissists”
i agree.
i can’t help but feel like she is disingenuous when she’s speaking in that video.
as she talks she does this thing with her mouth, like she’s trying to stifle a smile (Jlo does the same thing). it’s not a Loreal commercial, so i don’t get the smirking. like, what the f*ck is there to smirk about…human suffering? 🙄
Beyonce has supported many charitable causes in the past. She wasn’t the only one who performed for Gadaffi. Mariah and Nelly Furtado did too, but at least Beyonce donated that money. Stop trying to bring negativity to a positive cause.
Amber not to belabor this but posters are stating their opinion, not bringing negativity, they are saying this toddler and tiara celeb is just off putting for this cause; in the weeks and months to come how much follow up in time and money, of her own volition, will beyonce do on this, i’m willing to bet little to none.
Remember Haiti and the earthquake, all the celebs in the english and spanish music world did those lousy and now forgotten redos of micheal and lionel’s song that was perfect for it’s time, and how many of those characters donated their own money or spent even a day in haiti, and it’s not like they don’t have the money or time; Meanwhile Pres. Obama had dispatched 8,000 service personel and the american public donated some 335 million dollars to relief agencies prior to those now forgotten concerts.
It’s not the causes, it’s the way many celebutards preen about them that’s off putting. Just sayin.
Powerfully emotive backdrop for a decent enough song.
But she has a lot of nerve pretending she’s making a difference. Hey Bey, you’re singing in front of a video backdrop of suffering people – then you’re returning to your 6 (?) month old kid who has diamond rattles and shitloads of jewelry. If she genuinely went out of her way to do something that’s emotionally uncomfortable (like actually meeting disadvantaged people) or even just donated some of those ridiculous amounts of money, I would be more willing to buy this. As it is, it’s an empty gesture.
yawn
Classy, reserved and impactful performance. Well done B. She’s a performer/singer – she can inspire with this song and perfomance which is something. I don’t expect friggin’ Beyonce to be Mother Teresa.
She was asked to do it, she did it, yet people still find something to moan and groan about. Every celeb doesn’t announce what organizations they have donated to. I don’t why people think celebs are obligated to tell their business to them, its none of your business. It was a nice gesture people, let’s leave it at that.
That’s because if you sing lyrics like ‘I did all that I could and it was more than enough’ you’re opening yourself up to people wondering exactly what it is you did.
Her 6-month old kid has jewelry that’s worth more than what the vast majority of people will make in their entire life. She’s successful, she can live in a big house, sure. It’s fine to enjoy success. But giving a 6 month old diamonds is such a ridiculous self-indulgent excess that she really shouldn’t try to pretend she’s making a difference in the world just by singing a song.
Not a big fan, but I gotta say she looks beautiful.
Can’t be arsed to hear the song.
I just had to comment that Beyonce should strongly consider wearing the spanx that go all the way up under the breast, rather than at the mid-point of the waist, where it is far more noticeable in dresses such as the one she’s wearing for the performance.
LMMFAO!
are you really saying that Beyoncé needs a FULL-BODY SPANX?
that’s precious. 😆
Why do all of her dresses sit lumpy on her body like that. Just an observation . She doesnt have a humble bone in her body.
It was a bit self-serving, but the video and the performance was amazing. one of the few music videos I’ve seen in the last decade that was actually remarkable and showed artistic integrity.