Lionel Richie's Idea to Remake 'We Are the World' Draws Mixed Reactions Amid COVID-19 Outbreak

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Lionel Richie considers that it is time to repeat what plenty of celebrities did for Africa over three decades ago: get together for another "We Are the World."

During an exclusive interview that the "American Idol" judge had with People, he explained that he and Michael Jackson wrote the entire song.

"Another boring remake."

LIONEL RICHIE AND MICHAEL JACKSON WROTE IT

One of the lines of the chorus strongly resonates nowadays due to the problematic situation that several people around the world are facing as a result of the COVID-19: "There's a choice we're making, we're saving our own lives."

According to Lionel, he and Michael thought about singing "I'm saving my life" or "We're saving our lives." They opted for the latter because they wanted to make the statement of "what do we do to save our own."

"

" nowadays is seen as a song with a powerful message that is both uplifting and hopeful. When it was first released back in March 1985, it raised $63 million for African famine.

A decade ago, another version of the tune was released following the earthquake in Haiti. Now that the song is officially 35 years old, Lionel is contemplating the idea of getting together several celebrities to do it again.

A REMAKE OF THE SONG IS A POSSIBILITY

Initially, the singer and "American Idol" judge didn't want to do much about the milestone because he considered it was not the right time to "sell an anniversary." However, the coronavirus made the message "so clear."

Lionel revealed he was concerned about the virus, as well. He pointed out that what began in China and moved to Europa came to the US already, remarking the fact that everybody was in the same situation.

He also admitted that ever since the beginning of the COVID-19, he has tried to write a different song to raise awareness about it. However, Lionel confessed that he keeps writing the same words.

Another challenging aspect of the hypothetic new version of "We Are the World" would be the recording process. Due to the quarantine and self-isolation orders, getting dozens of singers in the same studio might not be the wisest choice.

PEOPLE'S THOUGHTS ABOUT THE INITIATIVE

Only time will tell if Lionel decides to carry out his plan. However, shortly after his idea hit the Internet, netizens took to social media to share their thoughts about it.

Unfortunately, several people consider that his initiative is unnecessary. A Twitter user pointed out that, for celebrities, the "biggest tragedy" was that they were not getting enough attention.

A different person claimed that releasing another version of the song was unnecessary, and even labeled it as "another boring remake." A third user wrote:

"Billionaire celebrities wanna do EVERYTHING to distract from the fact that they're in their mansions doing NOTHING to help their fans they love so much."

While plenty of people don't believe that another "We Are the World" would be helpful, many more liked the idea and even suggested that artists could record their lines from isolation.

A second person tweeted:

"Great cause. Thank you for coming up with plans for the new' we are the world' to help fundraise against the coronavirus."

Lionel Richie is not the only celebrity who thought about singing a classic song amid the coronavirus. Gal Gadot, the "Wonder Woman" star, uploaded a three-minute clip of herself and many other artists singing a line of John Lennon's hit song "Imagine."

Actors and singers have also contributed with money. Stephen and Ayesha Curry, Justin Timberlake, Bill Gates, Rihanna, Ariana Grande, and more have donated money to different charities.

If Lionel Richie finally makes another version of "We Are the World," maybe some of them would join.