And I Am a Recycled-Material Girl

Madonna releases single to support Live Earth climate efforts

What is it about climate change that makes music ... suck? First we had Melissa Etheridge's "I Need to Wake Up," the earnest, Oscar-winning Inconvenient Truth anthem. Now we have Madonna's "Hey You," a somnolent single released this week in conjunction with Live Earth, the continents-spanning climate-awareness concerts planned for 7/7/07. While we can't complain about our favorite virgin's intentions -- the single is downloadable for free for a week, and Microsoft is donating 25 cents for each of the first million downloads to the Alliance for Climate Protection -- we can complain about her music. Because its vapid lyrics and "stripped-down, folksy" style suuuuck. Still, Live Earth's Kevin Wall called the release of the ballad, which Madge will perform at the London concert, "an incredible boost to our efforts to get people engaged in the environmental cause." And you should go download it! To support climate relief! Plus you might love it! In which case, ignore everything else we just said.