Michelle Obama Single Featuring Missy Elliott, Kelly Clarkson, Lea Michele Reaches No. 1 On Billboard-Twitter Chart
Michelle Obama's all-star girl power anthem "This Is for My Girls" reached the No. 1 slot on the Billboard + Twitter Trending 140 on Wednesday, March 16.
The track, which features a powerhouse assembly of female artists including Missy Elliott, Kelly Rowland, Kelly Clarkson, Zendaya, Janelle Monae, Lea Michele, Jadagrace, and Chloe & Halle, was written by Grammy Award winner Diane Warren.
Warren and the First Lady released the catchy charity single on Tuesday, March 15, during South by Southwest. Obama was in Austin for SXSW, where she talked about the "Let Girls Learn" campaign, an initiative geared at encouraging global leaders to prioritize giving girls around the world educational opportunities. According to the First Lady, an estimated 62 million young women around the world are unable to get access to a proper education.
"This Is for My Girls" was executive-produced by MAKERS.com, AOL's women's website, and was made for the White House's "Let Girls Learn" and #62MillionGirls initiatives. It became available exclusively on iTunes at midnight on Wednesday, after which the empowerment-themed track became the most discussed and shared single on Twitter, rising to the top slot on the Billboard + Twitter Trending 140 chart.
According to Billboard, the Trending 140 chart determines how fast conversations are generated about artists and their music.
All proceeds from the song will benefit the Peace Corps "Let Girls Learn" Fund. All the artists involved in the making of the track waived their royalties and fees to contribute to the initiatives.
In an exclusive interview with Billboard ahead of the track's release, Warren described the song, saying, "It's kind of like 'We Are the World' meets 'Lady Marmalade' with these strong voices and strong women."
"When was the last time you heard a song like this or a record that had this many amazing divas on it? I'm really proud," the multi-awarded songwriter said.
"We haven't had an anthem like this in awhile," she added. "I think it can be a huge worldwide anthem. I hope it becomes that."
