Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Julian Lennon has released two singles from his new album and surprised the world with his first ever performance of John Lennon’s iconic song, Imagine.
Lennon performed Imagine during the Global Citizen Stand Up for Ukraine! Social Media Rally. This remarkable event raised an incredible 10.1 billion euros for Ukraine!
“The War on Ukraine, is an unimaginable tragedy… As a human, and as an artist, I felt compelled to respond in the most significant way I could. So, for the first time ever, I publicly performed my Dad’s song, Imagine. Why now, after all these years? – I had always said that the only time I would ever consider singing Imagine would be if it was the ‘End of the World’…
But also because his lyrics reflect our collective desire for peace worldwide. Because within this song, we’re transported to a space, where love and togetherness become our reality, if but for a moment in time…
The song reflects the light at the end of the tunnel that we are all hoping for…
As a result of the ongoing murderous violence, millions of innocent families, have been forced to leave the comfort of their homes, to seek asylum elsewhere.
I’m calling on world leaders and everyone who believes in the sentiment of Imagine to stand up for refugees everywhere!
Please advocate and donate from the heart.”
Lennon performed alongside Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum artist Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme, Rihanna).
Lennon then released an exclusive NFT with a recording of the track, audio and visual interpretations of the special song, new artwork, and a personal narration from Lennon. The NFT will be available via YellowHeart, a marketplace for music, ticketing, and community tokens, which takes crypto or credit card payments. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Ukraine relief efforts via The White Feather Foundation. From May 20, 2022, fans will have the opportunity to purchase the NFT for 11 days for $11.
Philanthropy
Julian Lennon’s commitment to charity is longstanding. For example in 2015, also through The White Feather Foundation, he launched The Cynthia Lennon Scholarship for Girls. Since then, it has awarded over 40 scholarships to girls in Africa and it now supports arts students in the U.S. too. As a result of his efforts, Lennon received the CC Forum Philanthropy Award in 2020. He was also named a UNESCO Center for Peace 2020 Cross-Cultural and Peace Crafter Award Laureate in 2020.
New music
Of course, Julian Lennon is also a musician in his own right and has recently released two new songs from his upcoming seventh studio album, JUDE.
