In a first of its kind program, GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter and actress Ashanti today released her newest single, "Let's Go," but needs fans' help to bring it to life. Until fans hydrate the song with digital water by using the hashtag #DrinkUpAshanti on social media, the song is low-fi and the video is stripped down. The more donations, the better the sound and sharper the video, until it's ready for everyone to download and enjoy.
This collaboration is Ashanti's latest work with First Lady Michelle Obama's Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) and its Drink Up effort, which encourages everyone to drink more water more often.
"With their hard work and creativity, groups like Drink Up have encouraged people across the country to drink more water, and they have helped increase demand for--and sales of--healthier products," said First Lady Michelle Obama. "From talking fountains to surfing competitions and now through partnerships with artists like Ashanti, Drink Up is proving that if we promote healthier options in fun and exciting ways, and make those options affordable and accessible for families, we can continue to make the healthy choice the easy choice."
By using the hashtag #DrinkUpAshanti, anyone can help replenish the single and music video, which are available at
DrinkUpAshanti.com. The more often the hashtag appears on Instagram or Twitter, the more 'hydrated' the single becomes, until eventually the complete song is released.
Simultaneously, the song's video will transform from a black, white and gray color scheme to a gorgeous, richly colored palette that features flowers created by the aggregated tweets. Fans will also be able to go on DrinkUpAshanti.com and see which aspects of the video their tweets brought to life.
"I love that my song is being used to encourage people to make a really easy choice: drinking more water every day,"
Ashanti said. "It's even more rewarding when it's being done in a creative, positive way. Drinking water is in ... it's just cool and sexy. You are what you drink, so drink up. It's also a pleasure to work with the First Lady again to help make the healthy choice the easy choice."
Previously,
Ashanti lent her talents to Partnership for a Healthier America by participating in an album titled, "Songs for a Healthier America" released in 2014.
Led by PHA, Drink Up was launched in 2013 to encourage people to drink more water more often. "Let's Go" will be released in four phases, from dehydrated to hydrated. Each time someone uses the hashtag, they will be able to see and hear the results of their contribution. The song will fill in little by little, and once fully hydrated, it will be released for sale on iTunes.
"This collaboration with
Ashanti is a whole new way for a brand and an artist to work together, and we are looking forward to seeing how quickly Ashanti's fans can make her newest single drop," said Drew Nannis, PHA's chief marketing officer.
The #DrinkUpAshanti social campaign and music video have been created by ad agencies Y&R (Young & Rubicam) and VML New York.
For more information about Ashanti, visit
ashantithisisme.com. For more information about Drink Up, visit
www.YouAreWhatYouDrink.org.
The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) is devoted to working with the private sector to ensure the health of our nation's youth by solving the childhood obesity crisis. In 2010, PHA was created in conjunction with - but independent from - First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! effort. PHA is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that is led by some of the nation's most respected health and childhood obesity experts. PHA brings together public, private and nonprofit leaders to broker meaningful commitments and develop strategies to end childhood obesity. Most important, PHA ensures that commitments made are commitments kept by working with unbiased, third parties to monitor and publicly report on the progress our partners are making. For more information about PHA, please visit
www.aHealthierAmerica.org and follow PHA on Twitter @PHAnews.
Ashanti is a Multi-Platinum Grammy-award winning singer/songwriter, actor and author. Her smash hit debut album, the self-titled "Ashanti," sold over 504,000 units in its first week and landed her the #1 spot on both the Billboard Top 200 and R&B album charts, and a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most albums sold by a debut female artist. In addition, her first three chart entries landed in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time, making Billboard history, tying the Beatles. That year, her album "Ashanti" won the GRAMMY for Best Contemporary R&B Album, eight Billboard Awards, two American Music Awards and she was presented with the Soul Train
Aretha Franklin Entertainer of the Year Award. Over the last decade,
Ashanti has appeared in a number of films (Coach Carter, John Tucker Must Die, Resident Evil 4), television shows including the 2013 season of "Army Wives" on Lifetime, recorded four more albums, penned a book of poetry, starred on Broadway as
Dorothy in "The Wiz" and launched her own fragrance,
Precious Jewel.
Ashanti currently owns her record label, Written Entertainment, and her 2014 album "Braveheart" was the #1 Independent album in the country on the Billboard charts making it her 5th consecutive album landing in the top 10 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
Ashanti will be starring in an episode of the crime drama "Unforgettable" playing a jazz singer/attempted murder suspect on the December 4(th) A&E series. Look for her new album coming in 2016!
