OneRepublic performed a live concert from the comfort of frontman Ryan Tedder’s home studio on Friday as part of the "Together At Home" series, which aims to promote solidarity during the coronavirus pandemic.
The band played songs from its extensive catalogue and others that Tedder helped write for different artists. Tedder spoke about the importance of the work being done by the World Health Organization (WHO) and urged fans to follow social distancing protocols.
“We’re trying to help the World Health Organization get the funds they need to tackle the coronavirus virus,” Tedder said.
“We’re all practicing social distancing,” he said. “We’re trying to perfect social distancing.”
"Together At Home" is a virtual event series launched this week by Global Citizen, the WHO, and a growing collection of artists. The series aims to ease people’s minds, and bring them joy and a sense of shared humanity as public shutdowns and social distancing take effect globally, leaving some people feeling lonely, anxious, and depressed. It also offers Global Citizens a chance to take action to help stop the spread of COVID-19 around the world.
Chris Martin opened the series on Monday, followed by John Legend on Tuesday, Charlie Puth on Wednesday, Niall Horan and Common on Thursday, and Hozier earlier Friday. (You can watch more "Together At Home" performances here and on our YouTube channel.)
With Tedder singing directly into the camera or hopping on the nearby piano, the band ran through “Counting Stars,” “Apologize,” and “Respect.” They also sang “Sucker” by the Jonas Brothers and “Halo” by Beyoncé — two songs written by Tedder.
He dedicated “Apologize” to “the naysayers and disbelievers” who have refused to follow social distancing guidelines and other measures meant to contain the pandemic.
He dedicated the performances of “Halo” and Sam Smith's “Stay With Me” to "all the health workers out there and everyone who is helping anyone else.”
OneRepublic has advocated for a range of issues over the years, including promoting energy access, ending modern slavery, and expanding access to quality education.
The band played at the 2019 Global Citizen Festival in New York.
During the livestream set, Tedder encouraged people to take action with Global Citizen through our Together At Home campaign that calls on governments, companies, and individuals to support WHO’s Solidarity Response Fund for COVID-19.
By visiting the campaign page, you can learn more about the virus and how to promote public health. You can also call on G20 states to support WHO’s relief fund. You can join us to take meaningful actions against coronavirus here.
“This is more than just a concert,” Tedder said on the livestream. “I’m asking all of you to take meaningful action with Global Citizen.”
“We haven’t seen anything like this in our lifetimes,” he said. “It's going to take all of us.”
Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook at @GlblCtzn for news about the next installments of the “Together At Home” series.
You can see all of Global Citizen's COVID-19 coverage here.
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