What’s this? In the most well thought-out example of Norwegian interference with Whitney Houston’s back catalogue since Kygo got his hands on ‘Higher Love’, KEiiNO have gone and recorded their own version of her mega hit ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’.
Why? It’s the official theme song to Global Pride 2020. That’s right. Not Oslo Pride, not Euro Pride – Global Pride. ‘Cos they are a global band on a global scale – that is KEiiNO.
What do KEiiNO say? “It’s a great honour to release our version of Queen Whitney Houstons big hit. The song describes how we feel right now, and I guess a lot of you feel the same. Everyday life isn‘t the same without being able to dance closely with your friends and loved ones. No matter what gender your loved one is. Before Covid-19, doing that was a right we took for granted in Norway in 2020. But equal rights have not come easy, and even though we have come a long way in the western world, a lot of brothers and sisters are discriminated and attacked for who they are globally. This month, we are celebrating the battles won and celebrating the brave first few that stood up against a brutal force, but also reminding ourselves that we still have to fight against injustice. It’s a huge honour for us that the Global Pride organisation feel our take on I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) is worthy enough to be named the official Global Pride Song of 2020. All the proceeds from the song go to LBGTQIA-work across the globe, so pretty please: add it to your playlists and share share share! The song is recorded in our separate homes during lockdown, produced by Rüdiger Schramm, mixed by Christer Andre Cederberg, mastered by Chris Gehringer and the lovely cover made by the even lovelier Sophie Christine Schramm. Photo by Raf Gaweda. Happy Pride!!”
More from KEiiNO? The music video has arrived and you can watch it below. The video contains dance-contributions from professional and amateur LGBTQIA+ dancers from around the world, as well as footage from KEiiNO’s performances at Madrid and Oslo Pride.
You can find ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ on our KEiiYES playlist.