On April 22, people around the world expressed their appreciation of the Earth through collecting litter along roads and beaches, planting trees and plants, utilizing reusable water bottles, and posting stunning pictures of various locations on Earth to bring awareness to the utter beauty of Earth and how it is being devastatingly damaged by climate change, deforestation, and plastic waste.

David Andrew Burd (Lil Dicky) is an American rapper and comedian, and he decided to express his appreciation for the earth through collecting an impressive list of thirty celebrities and singer-songwriters to feature on his single—titled “Earth.” Throughout the song, Burd voices his love for the earth and how human selfishness has destroyed the environment, while the celebrities portray different animals and express those animals’ characteristics.

At the end of the song, Burd encourages listeners to unify, respect the earth and each other, and collaborate to reverse the damage made on Earth before it becomes irreversible. We have only twelve years to act on global warming; otherwise, we will face an existential crisis to humanity.

In an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, Burd said, “I didn’t know that we literally have twelve years to completely change how we do so many things on Earth . . . or the damage will be irreversible . . . upon realizing that, it went from a silly song about animals to, ‘Oh my God, this is the most important thing I’ll ever do.’”

“Earth” was released on Apr. 19, three days prior to Earth Day. All proceeds from the song—including the music video—will be donated to different environmental charities through collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation: a non-profit organization devoted to promoting environmental awareness. DiCaprio also makes a cameo in the single’s music video as himself.   

The song itself is catchy, and it is undoubtedly appealing that the single includes impressive talent from copious artists. A-list celebrities featured on the song include Ariana Grande, Halsey, Miley Cyrus, Snoop Dogg, Adam Levine, Shawn Mendes, Charlie Puth, Justin Bieber, and Ed Sheeran. Likewise, the song generates remarkable interest from listeners through Burd’s statement that the profits of the song go to charity. Obtaining the ability to enjoy a memorable, humorous song while indirectly completing an act of charity is a pleasing deal for any listener.

Overall, it is remarkable that Burd was able to raise awareness about climate change through a laughable, entertaining song. The single is extremely appealing to my generation, which along with the millennials, will be charged with carrying the heavy burden on our shoulders of quickly altering the resources we use to complete various important tasks in order to preserve the earth and its resources. This significant responsibility, one that ultimately decides whether future generations will experience the same beautiful world as we currently do, has been carelessly dumped upon “the next” generation for far too long.

I hope that artists and celebrities who obtain profound influence will follow in the steps of Burd and DiCaprio in raising awareness of pertinent issues and altering our environment for the better.