The Global Citizen album and Concert came out of believing that songs have an important role to play in social movements. Songs like 'Imagine', 'We shall overcome' 'The times they are a changing', 'One' , even 'We are the world', all defined the social justice movements of a generation. These songs were the soundtracks that woke people up to global issues, made them care, and helped people feel connected. 

So for Global Citizen, we asked amazing New Zealand artists to write us a song. A song from the heart, a song to the world. We asked them to sing the words they needed to hear, the words that moved them, to write the melody of a soul filled with empathy for other souls. We asked them to write us the 21st century 'anthem' that could become a soundtrack to the worldwide movement to end extreme poverty within a generation. 

Naysayers told us they wouldn't do it, that people are too cynical to care nowadays, that music is all about sex or romance or broken hearts or money. Plenty of people thought we wouldn't get any songs, that no one would write them, or donate them.

But they did! And they've been flooding in from our amazing artists, Jamie Mcdell, Seth Haapu, Anika Moa, Tiki Taane, Aaron Tokona, Paul Mclaney, other great New Zealand musos. They're all writing beautiful, sincere, emotionally powerful songs that are truly world-class. This little country has so much talent, so much heart, and these musicians are giving more than their talent even, they're giving their sincerity, and their hope and urgency for a better world. 

Jamie's song is a beautiful 'Ode to the Lines that we're breaking'. Her lyrics go on.. 'a song for the ones that can feel, with every start we are making, the broken child can heal'. 

Jamie came into Roundhead Studios, who along with York St, the two best recording studios in New Zealand, gave their time, energy and support. Ben King produced the new single, and sang beautiful backing on it, with the brilliant Brett Adams from 'The Bads' playing additional guitar on this track. Neil Baldock engineered as well as helping our project move forward in a hundred ways, and with a truly loving vibe in the studio, Jamie just smashed it recording that day. She has a perfect, pure and emotional voice that goes straight to your heart, she's a great soul. She closed her eyes and sang, reminding me of a young Joni Mitchell with her long blond hair and natural beauty. 

Listening to this song makes me feel hope for the future.  Such good intentions and love must surely have meaning, must surely sing out like a bird in the morning. We asked her, 'can a song change the world' and she answered with this. You tell us, can it?

If you enjoy the video, then come see Jamie play this live at the Global Citizen Concert! Sign up to Global Citizen and get involved, join many many other voices to pledge to help end extreme poverty within a generation.