Ed Sheeran Would Have Declined “Band Aid” 40th-Anniversary Remix

Ed Sheeran has objected to his voice being used in the new Band Aid 40th-anniversary remix of the charity song “Do They Know It’s Christmas”. Citing changing personal opinions on the impact of foreign aid on Africa, the 33-year-old Suffolk musician said he would have “respectfully declined” to take part in the initiative if he had been contacted.

Charitable Effort

The newly released remix honours Band Aid’s 40th anniversary, the charitable effort started in 1984 aimed at generating money for African famine relief. Combining vocals from artists like Harry Styles, George Michael, U2’s Bono, and Sheeran personally, who performed in Band Aid 30 alongside One Direction, Sam Smith, and Coldplay’s Chris Martin, the remix combines recordings from three previous iterations of the song.

Displeasure For Ed Sheeran

Ed voiced his displeasure on Instagram, writing: “My approval wasn’t sought on this new Band Aid 40 release and had I had the choice, I would have respectfully declined the use of my vocals.” Ten years on and, thanks to @fuseodg, my perspective of the story connected with this has evolved beautifully.

Fuse ODG

Ed Sheeran cited Ghanaian-English rapper Fuse ODG with whom he worked on the 2017 song Boa Me. Fuse ODG has been open in his criticism of international aid projects, notably Band Aid, which he opted out of in 2014 because of worries about the way the charity presents Africa. Fuse ODG attacked Band Aid in his own social media post for continuing “damaging stereotypes” he feels impede Africa’s investment, tourism, and economic development. He claimed that many times, these charitable initiatives present Africa in a way that encourages pity rather than cooperation, therefore deterring worldwide involvement with the continent’s development potential.

Fuse ODG said: “These projects discourage genuine involvement by highlighting degrading images, therefore fuelling pity rather than partnership. Reclaiming the narrative has been my goal in enabling Africans to write their own tales, reinvent their identity, and establish Africa as a vibrant centre for travel and business.

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George Millington

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George Millington is a music journalist and reviewer situated in central London. He does not write about a single genre but rather the commercial music industry as a whole. His first album was by The Beatles, which he purchased secondhand from a charity shop in his neighbourhood.

He discovered the gem when he was 12 years old and still has it now, claiming it to be why he fell in love with music. He likes to play disc golf when he's not writing about music. He is a one-of-a-kind individual who is always the first to bust out his air guitar on the dance-floor.

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