Tunesmith the bardsyoutube3/17/2023 “The Coronavirus” currently has over 266,000 streams on Spotify and its two YouTube videos (official video and lyric video) have amassed over 330,000 views. The other three songs on The Audacity that are currently in the upper reaches on the chart are “Ahmaud” (#4), a heartrending song about the inexplicable tragedy of Ahmaud Arbery, the unarmed 25-year-old African American fatally shot after being pursued and confronted by two white men in Satilla Shores, Georgia “The Coronavirus” (#6), which he penned early in the pandemic to speak harsh truths and the important urgency to listening to health officials (and of the dangers if we don’t) and “Because of You” (#19), a searing R&B ballad addressing the tragedy of gun violence in our schools. Putting his money and physical presence where his grooves and hard-hitting lyrics are, the singer took the initiative to fly to Minneapolis and do an impromptu performance of the song for thousands gathered around the very spot where George Floyd was killed. Darrell also attended a memorial for the slain man in Houston the day before his funeral, where he was interviewed by Al Jazeera’s John Hendren. “Police Brutality,” written and recorded immediately after Floyd’s murder and addressing our nation’s racial bias when it comes to policing, is Darrell’s latest smash at #1 and has been played on over 200 radio stations worldwide. There are very serious things going on in our lives here in 2020, and we have the ability to be the change we seek.”Ĭurrently, four of the songs on the new ten track collection are in the Top 20 on the World Music Indie Charts. You have to realize the power you have and not let the system play tricks on you. “When people listen to The Audacity,” he adds, “I want them to get a very strong message that as taxpaying Americans, we the people are the ones who run our country. If I see something wrong, it shouldn’t go unnoticed. I’m just a guy who has definite opinions about what’s right and wrong in our lives. But this was never a conscious intention for me. “I grew up listening to great artists who wrote important message songs like The Staples Singers, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen, and feel there aren’t enough of them now. “To be honest, until someone pointed out how many songs I had that addressed socially relevant issues, I never saw myself as that kind of artist,” Darrell says. The year 2020 is not yet half over, but between COVID-19 and the global protests for systemic change in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, it will go down as a watershed in world history, a wake-up call for humanity when complacency was shattered and sitting on the sidelines was not an option for socially conscious people.Īn ever-evolving artist and musical voice of extraordinary depth and insight, Darrell Kelley has forcefully met many of these moments by speaking truth (and truth to power) with an ongoing array of worldwide hit singles addressing key issues – including “The Coronavirus,” “Ahmaud” and “Police Brutality.” While these and other politically charged songs – including the fiery title track and “Vote Him Out,” both critical takedowns of Donald Trump - form the core of The Audacity, the Atlanta based singer/songwriter’s latest full-length album, Darrell balances them with songs about love, hope and unity that offer a constructive way forward beyond these anxious and challenging times.
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