First lady gets funky for Let Girls Learn
Michelle Obama commissions star-studded charity single to boost education initative
The first lady has made her first foray into pop music.
Michelle Obama commissioned a star-studded roster for her sprightly new charity single “This is For My Girls,” including the powerhouse likes of Missy Elliott, Kelly Clarkson and Janelle Monae.
The girl-power anthem was written by Diane Warren, the songwriting guru behind “Because You Loved Me” and “I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing.” Driven by bright horns and funky percussion, the tune — inspired by Obama’s Let Girls Learn initiative, which seeks to provide education opportunities to an estimated 62 million girls globally who don’t attend school — also features Lea Michele, Zendaya, Chloe & Halle, Kelly Rowland and Jadagrace. It’s for sale for $1.29 on iTunes.
Unfortunately for those hoping to judge her presidential pipes, Obama herself doesn’t sing on the track, but she did briefly break into song at the South by Southwest Music Festival on Wednesday. Seated with Grammy winners Queen Latifah and Elliott to talk about girls’ education and empowerment, Obama detoured into tune when reflecting on seven years in the White House.
“Time is almost up,” she said, before softly singing some of the Boyz II Men hit “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday.”
Otherwise, Obama drew a chorus of disappointed sighs from the packed convention centre crowd when she ruled out a presidential run of her own.
“No, no. Not going to do it,” she said, citing teenage daughters Malia and Sasha as two of the primary reasons. “The daughters of a president. Just think about it. Come on, young people. Not so easy,” Obama said. “They’ve handled it with grace and with poise, but enough. Enough.” Still, Obama confirmed she wouldn’t slide entirely from public view upon leaving the White House next year.
“Sometimes there’s much more you can do outside the White House without the constraints, the lights and the cameras, and the partisanship,” she said.
“I want to be able to impact as many people as possible in an unbiased way to try to keep reaching people. I think I can do that just as well by not being president of the United States.” U.S. President Barack Obama opened the festival last week with a talk about civic engagement, becoming the first sitting president to attend SXSW in the festival’s 30-year history.