I Legit Used To Think Miley, Demi, Selena & The Jonas Bros Could Save Us From Global Warming
OK, just hear me out…
It feels like it was only yesterday. But, in fact, it was August 2009 when I remember coming home from school and flicking on the Disney Channel to unwind from a hectic day filled with textbooks and handball. A classic Disney episode had just finished and there was a mere few minutes before the next one was to begin. While I expected to consume ad after ad, I was treated to something a little different. And boy, was I excited.
With lens-flares, a glimpse of electric guitars and panning shots of drum kits, I knew I was about to embark on a music video. However, I had never seen this one before!
As the acoustic guitar transitioned into violins, I wondered: would this video be from the star of Hannah Montana, Miley Cyrus? Could it possibly be the Jonas Brothers or Demi Lovato from Camp Rock? Or was it potentially the goddess of Wizards of Waverly Place herself, Selena Gomez? Little did I know, it was about to be all of them.
‘Send It On’ Was Gen-Z’s Answer To ‘We Are The World’
All six of the most influential people in my life came on screen and my body didn’t know how to cope.
To say I was overwhelmed with joy would be the understatement of the century. My jaw had dropped to the floor and remained there for approximately three minutes and twenty-six seconds. What did I do to deserve a collaboration with all my favourite people?
The video ended quicker than I could take it all in, but thanks to YouTube rips from American users, I was able to watch it again and again and again.
In rewatching the video hundreds of times (no, I wish I was joking), I was able to thoroughly consume the message they were pushing.
The lyrics to ‘Send It On’ are shockingly generic. But ultimately, as the chorus boasts, “With one little action, the chain reaction will never stop. Make it strong, shine a light, and send it on,” the Disney Channel pushed for environmental change.
This message was not only shoved down my throat through this song, but also through the star-powered commercial that went along with it.
The Track Introduced Me To The Concept Of Climate Change
Now, as a young (and pretty dumb) teenager, I really thought that Disney’s Friends For Change had the power to stop the climate crisis. I really did.
Ashamedly, I thought that through the release of this US Top 20 hit, my parents, politicians and people around the world would listen to Disney’s most iconic superstars and make a change.
How wrong I was.
Regardless, I am forever grateful to the Jonas Brothers, Demi, Selena and Miley for no doubt following their Disney Channel contracts and giving me this certified banger, to forever remind me that it is important to recycle and make environmentally-friendly choices in life.