Some songs have the power to stop conversation. When such a song starts to play, each person in the room has a moment of recognition, pauses, and starts singing along. The Indigo Girls’ “Closer to Fine” is one for my group of friends. So is Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” And just about anything by Melissa Etheridge. I once was at party that ended with everyone singing with the entire Yes I Am album.

I predict that “Sing,” a track from the new Annie Lennox release, Songs of Mass Destruction, will become one of those songs. Or at least its chorus will.

As bad machine told us a few months ago, Lennox enlisted 23 female singers to join her on this anthem devoted to the treatment of pregnant women with AIDS to prevent the spread of HIV to their babies. When I read about the song, I pictured a “We Are the World” moment with the women crammed into a studio, rocking back and forth while they sang. Instead, each vocalist recorded the song in a nearby studio and sent the track to Lennox for mixing. Parts of the song are a little inaccessible at first listen, but by the end I was right there with them, hand over my ear, singing my little heart out. (Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about.) Listen to it a couple of times and let me know what you think. Then go to Annie’s site and download “Sing” — proceeds go to Treatment Action Campaign. … continue reading

Pop diva Annie Lennox announced recently that her fourth solo album, Songs of Mass Destruction, which drops October 2, will include one track featuring vocal contributions from 23 other female singers. Perhaps you've heard of some of them: Melissa Etheridge, Madonna, Sarah McLachlan, Celine Dion, Stacy Ferguson, Faith Hill, Pink, Dido, Gladys Knight, kd lang, Bonnie Raitt, Shakira, Joss Stone and KT Tunstall.

It's Lilith Fair compressed into four minutes and without the messy sunscreen.

With 23 other stars, the song, a feminist anthem entitled, "Sing," could possibly be a truncated version of the title, "Sing, or Just Mouth the Words — No One's Gonna Know the Difference."

Although it remains to be heard whether any one artist gets a line or two of her own, the cause is definitely worthwhile. "Sing" will benefit Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), a movement fighting for human rights, education and health care for those affected by and living with AIDS/HIV.

There's another album already called Songs of Mass Destruction — a 1993 release by a Swedish duo called Devoid. But with songs like "Drug Womb" and "Go to Hell" on the Devoid album, I doubt there will be much confusion as to which one is Annie's. … continue reading