Alicia Keys' 'Good Job' trolled, CNN bashed for promoting 'poor millionaires' on COVID-19 Heroes Campaign
Singer-songwriter Alicia Keys debuted her new song 'Good Job' on Thursday (April 23) morning. This was a part of CNN's global town hall to address the latest queries and concerns in the fight against the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
The 15-time Grammy-winner had written the tune months ago in order to honor the unsung heroes in her life, she told CNN in a conversation before the broadcast.
"It has always been such a personal song and such a poignant song," she said. "And every time I play it, I want to cry because I'm thinking of my mother, I'm thinking of my grandmother, I'm thinking of friends of mine who can't make ends meet."
She had a change of heart when the coronavirus pandemic gripped the world and that is when it occurred to her that the lyrics would be a perfect tribute to the healthcare professionals, frontline workers, parents who are working from home along with looking after their children, teachers and everyone else who has stepped up during these tough times.
"A lot of times people don't feel like they're doing a good job. They feel underwater and like there's never going to be a brighter day," she said. "Fast forward to now, with where we are now, and it's almost like the song was written for this, and I didn't know it."
Keys has partnered with CNN to use the song as the theme for a new CNN Heroes campaign in celebration of the ordinary people who have emerged as heroes during the COVID-19 crisis. Starting April 24, viewers and visitors to CNN platforms will be invited to share pictures and videos of individuals from their communities who are doing their part to make the world a better, safer and healthier place. CNN will recognize these everyday heroes each week.
"Alicia Keys and the lyrics of 'Good Job' are sending a much-needed message of gratitude to the frontline and essential workers of this crisis," said Whit Friese, CNN vice president and group creative director of creative marketing. "It's been nothing short of an honor for our team to collaborate with such an incredible talent on a project as meaningful as this."
This might seem like a great initiative but fans think otherwise. The moment this video was uploaded to CNN's official Twitter handle, many started talking about how this "didn't make sense".
"I am sorry but this does not make sense. What we need are experts and facts. Alicia Keys is not an expert in medicine. Fact. Don't you think the actual heroes want to hear facts before going into dangerous situations instead of a song? #WTF Jeff Zucker," read one comment.
"I truly thought this was an SNL sketch based on the corporate feel of this. Someone at the label really thought they needed to take advantage of the corona crisis," wrote another.
Another comment on the same lines went, "Something about the presentation that bothered me. It would've been more meaningful for me anyway if she was a little more casual looking the rest of us. Tough sell with everything so perfect. Just saying." This viewer was referring to the high production value of the video that makes it hard to buy the message the song wants to send out.
"Thank you, CNN for helping promote poor millionaire musicians in this dire time. Thank you," wrote another fan. Another unimpressed fan wrote, "This is worse than that shitty @GalGadot Imagine cover."
"Hollywood can't stand not having the attention on them for 2 min," read another comment while there was also a straight-up "yawn" in the comments.