Send It On (song)
Encyclopedia
"Send It On" is a pop
song performed by American recording artists Demi Lovato
, the Jonas Brothers
, Miley Cyrus
, and Selena Gomez
. The group, billed as Disney's Friends for Change, stems from Disney's environmental
initiative of the same name
. "Send It On" was written by Adam Anders, Nikki Hassman, and Peer Åström
and produced by Anders and Åström. The song was released on August 11, 2009 by Walt Disney
and Hollywood Records
as a promotional charity single in order to benefit international environmental associations. In regards to the song and the campaign, the six singers noted that it is a good cause and that it is one dear to them. The ballad has predominant power pop
characteristics and is lyrically about passing on an environmentalist message.
The song garnered mixed to average reviews from critics, who noted that the lyrics make no mention of the environment. The song received airplay only on Radio Disney
and peaked at number twenty on the Billboard Hot 100
. The corresponding music video has all four acts singing into microphones on top of a brightly lit stage and running across a park setting where many children are following them.
. The four artists went through several recording sessions in early April 2009. Each person shared their opinion in regards to the song and Disney's Friends for Change in an interview with Access Hollywood
. Joe Jonas said that the song is one with a "great message." He added that the song is about helping the Earth in whichever way possible and that it is mainly about letting "everyone know." Joe Jonas said the song even reminds oneself to be more eco-friendly. Gomez stated,
Cyrus mentioned that her favorite part to record was the line "One spark starts a fire." Cyrus said she "loved" the line because it was true for her and that if children send on the message, everyone will know. She also believed that they were "encouraging kids to do it", which she found inspirational. Lovato stated: "It's very important to us to be good to the environment" and that the song is a part of a "big movement" that they are attempting to achieve. Kevin Jonas said it was a "big honor" and that "the vibe [...] is great" because they have "all known each other for years now." Nick Jonas said that the song is just about "taking those tiny steps" that could make the Earth better.
with a ballad tempo
of 90 beats per minute. It is written in a key of A major
. The group's vocals span three octaves, from E3 to C#6. The song has the following chord progression
, A–F#m–C#m–E5.
The song is sung from a first person viewpoint, allowing an audience to "internalize" the message—which involves everybody—by singing the word "we" together. "Send It On" commences with acoustic guitars and then transitioning to violins. Miley Cyrus and Nick Jonas together sing the first verse, "A word’s just a word till you mean what you say." Then the two sing the first chorus together. Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas then sing main lines of the second verse with the other group (Miley Cyrus and Nick Jonas) singing, "If we take the chances to change circumstances." Then, Selena Gomez and Kevin Jonas also join in the second chorus and sing the third verse. For the rest of the song the six of them sing. The overall theme and message of the song is to encourage to pass on the environmental
pledge; this can be heavily interpreted from the lines: "Just one spark starts a fire."
in regards to Disney's Friends for Change
. "Send It On" later debuted on Radio Disney
on August 7, 2009. Later on August 11, the song was released digitally, via iTunes Store
. Disney will direct 100% of the proceeds from "Send it On" to environmental charities through the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund (DWCF). The music video premiered on Disney Channel on August 14 and the day later to Disney.com
and ABC
. On August 15, a digital extended play
was released to the iTunes Store, featuring the song, its music video, two commercials in regards to the project that aired on Disney Channel and a digital booklet
.
stated: "The song may sound a bit tedious. It's not likely to be much more enduring than the typical American Idol
winner's finale song. However, the purchase of this song is for a very good cause." Gina Sepre and Whitney English of E!
said that the song was Disney's take on "We are the World
" by a super-group billed as USA for Africa
, a group which included successful acts such as Michael Jackson
and Diana Ross
.
Leo Hickman of The Guardian
criticized the artists as hypocritical and the song's lyrics as ineffective, noting that "there are no references at all to the environment to be found within the song," as opposed to Cyrus's song "Wake Up America" from her second album which he mentioned was more influential.
. However, the song debuted at number nine on Hot Digital Songs
which led to it making into the Billboard Hot 100
, issue dated August 29, 2009. "Send It On" debuted and peaked at number twenty in the Hot 100. It then fell to number twenty-one, and stayed on for three more weeks before falling off.
account. The music video to "Send It On" was first seen on Disney Channel
on August 14, 2009.
The music video begins with Miley Cyrus and Nick Jonas sitting on the edge of a dark stage where Nick, also playing the acoustic guitar
, and Miley singing the first verse. The video then changes to the two walking onto the brightly lighted stage, singing the chorus, and then being joined by Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas who sing the second verse. The entire group is then shown on the stage as they sing the chorus. Kevin and Joe Jonas then remove a curtain covering the background of stage to reveal a sky-painted backdrop in which Selena Gomez and Kevin Jonas proceed to sing the third verse. The ending of the video follows the entire group running out of a large stage door and through a "park
-like" setting while finishing the song. A crowd of minors also begin running behind the group. The video ends with the group jumping onto and sitting on a couch in the middle of the park with the crowd stopping in the background.
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
song performed by American recording artists Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato
"She’s got the range, the full emotional spectrum, incredible control… Vocally, she’s the best thing Disney’s had since Christina Aguilera."—Producer Toby Gad on Demi Lovato's vocals...
, the Jonas Brothers
Jonas Brothers
The Jonas Brothers are an American boy band. The band gained its popularity from the Disney Channel children's television network. From the shore region of New Jersey, the band consists of three brothers: Paul Kevin Jonas II , Joseph Adam Jonas , and Nicholas Jerry Jonas...
, Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
, and Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez
Selena Marie Gomez is an American actress and singer best known for portraying Alex Russo in the Emmy Award-winning Disney Channel television series Wizards of Waverly Place...
. The group, billed as Disney's Friends for Change, stems from Disney's environmental
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
initiative of the same name
Disney's Friends for Change
Disney's Friends for Change is a pro-social "green" initiative that started in the summer of 2009. Disney stars stress environmental issues in the campaign, encouraging fans to take action. The year-long campaign draws on how Disney stars connect with young fans...
. "Send It On" was written by Adam Anders, Nikki Hassman, and Peer Åström
Peer Åström
Peer Åström Peer Åström Peer Åström (born in Ljusdal, Sweden is a Swedish composer, lyricist, musician and record producer and partner with Anders Bagge. The two songwriters / producers are known as Bagge & Peer. They have together written and produced songs for Lara Fabian, Celine Dion, Madonna,...
and produced by Anders and Åström. The song was released on August 11, 2009 by Walt Disney
Walt Disney Records
Walt Disney Records is a family music record label owned by the Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Records was formed in 1956 as Disneyland Records. Before that time, Disney recordings were licensed out to a variety of other labels such as . It was Walt Disney’s brother Roy O...
and Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...
as a promotional charity single in order to benefit international environmental associations. In regards to the song and the campaign, the six singers noted that it is a good cause and that it is one dear to them. The ballad has predominant power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
characteristics and is lyrically about passing on an environmentalist message.
The song garnered mixed to average reviews from critics, who noted that the lyrics make no mention of the environment. The song received airplay only on Radio Disney
Radio Disney
Radio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California and headquartered out of the Disney Channel headquarters on West Alameda Ave., from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas...
and peaked at number twenty on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. The corresponding music video has all four acts singing into microphones on top of a brightly lit stage and running across a park setting where many children are following them.
Background
Initially known as "Pass It On", the song was written by Adam Anders and Nikki Hassman in collaboration with Peer ÅströmPeer Åström
Peer Åström Peer Åström Peer Åström (born in Ljusdal, Sweden is a Swedish composer, lyricist, musician and record producer and partner with Anders Bagge. The two songwriters / producers are known as Bagge & Peer. They have together written and produced songs for Lara Fabian, Celine Dion, Madonna,...
. The four artists went through several recording sessions in early April 2009. Each person shared their opinion in regards to the song and Disney's Friends for Change in an interview with Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood is a weekday television entertainment news program covering events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created by former Entertainment Tonight executive producer Jim Van Messel, and is currently directed by Robert Silverstein. In previous years, Doug Dougherty and...
. Joe Jonas said that the song is one with a "great message." He added that the song is about helping the Earth in whichever way possible and that it is mainly about letting "everyone know." Joe Jonas said the song even reminds oneself to be more eco-friendly. Gomez stated,
Cyrus mentioned that her favorite part to record was the line "One spark starts a fire." Cyrus said she "loved" the line because it was true for her and that if children send on the message, everyone will know. She also believed that they were "encouraging kids to do it", which she found inspirational. Lovato stated: "It's very important to us to be good to the environment" and that the song is a part of a "big movement" that they are attempting to achieve. Kevin Jonas said it was a "big honor" and that "the vibe [...] is great" because they have "all known each other for years now." Nick Jonas said that the song is just about "taking those tiny steps" that could make the Earth better.
Music, vocal arrangements and lyrics
The song is set in common timeCommon Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
with a ballad tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 90 beats per minute. It is written in a key of A major
A major
A major is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has three sharps.Its relative minor is F-sharp minor and its parallel minor is A minor...
. The group's vocals span three octaves, from E3 to C#6. The song has the following chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
, A–F#m–C#m–E5.
The song is sung from a first person viewpoint, allowing an audience to "internalize" the message—which involves everybody—by singing the word "we" together. "Send It On" commences with acoustic guitars and then transitioning to violins. Miley Cyrus and Nick Jonas together sing the first verse, "A word’s just a word till you mean what you say." Then the two sing the first chorus together. Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas then sing main lines of the second verse with the other group (Miley Cyrus and Nick Jonas) singing, "If we take the chances to change circumstances." Then, Selena Gomez and Kevin Jonas also join in the second chorus and sing the third verse. For the rest of the song the six of them sing. The overall theme and message of the song is to encourage to pass on the environmental
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
pledge; this can be heavily interpreted from the lines: "Just one spark starts a fire."
Release
Snippets of the song was first heard as the opening theme for commercials that aired on Disney ChannelDisney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
in regards to Disney's Friends for Change
Disney's Friends for Change
Disney's Friends for Change is a pro-social "green" initiative that started in the summer of 2009. Disney stars stress environmental issues in the campaign, encouraging fans to take action. The year-long campaign draws on how Disney stars connect with young fans...
. "Send It On" later debuted on Radio Disney
Radio Disney
Radio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California and headquartered out of the Disney Channel headquarters on West Alameda Ave., from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas...
on August 7, 2009. Later on August 11, the song was released digitally, via iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
. Disney will direct 100% of the proceeds from "Send it On" to environmental charities through the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund (DWCF). The music video premiered on Disney Channel on August 14 and the day later to Disney.com
Disney.com
Disney.com is a website, owned by The Walt Disney Company and its subsidiaries, promotes the Disney theme parks and offers entertainment content intended for children....
and ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. On August 15, a digital extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
was released to the iTunes Store, featuring the song, its music video, two commercials in regards to the project that aired on Disney Channel and a digital booklet
Digital booklet
Digital booklets are the digital equivalent of liner notes that often accompany digital music purchases. They are most commonly distributed in Portable Document Format. One well-known distributor of digital booklets with digital purchases is the iTunes Store; the first instance of this on the...
.
Critical reception
"Send It On" received average critical reviews. Bill Lamb of About.comAbout.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
stated: "The song may sound a bit tedious. It's not likely to be much more enduring than the typical American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
winner's finale song. However, the purchase of this song is for a very good cause." Gina Sepre and Whitney English of E!
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
said that the song was Disney's take on "We are the World
We Are the World
"We Are the World" is a song and charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album We Are the World...
" by a super-group billed as USA for Africa
USA for Africa
USA for Africa was the name under which forty-seven predominantly U.S. artists, led by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, recorded the hit single "We Are the World" in 1985. The song was a US and UK Number One for the collective in April of that year...
, a group which included successful acts such as Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
and Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
.
Leo Hickman of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
criticized the artists as hypocritical and the song's lyrics as ineffective, noting that "there are no references at all to the environment to be found within the song," as opposed to Cyrus's song "Wake Up America" from her second album which he mentioned was more influential.
Chart performance
The song received mediocre airplay due to it not being released for mainstream radio and only Radio DisneyRadio Disney
Radio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California and headquartered out of the Disney Channel headquarters on West Alameda Ave., from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas...
. However, the song debuted at number nine on Hot Digital Songs
Hot Digital Songs
The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
which led to it making into the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, issue dated August 29, 2009. "Send It On" debuted and peaked at number twenty in the Hot 100. It then fell to number twenty-one, and stayed on for three more weeks before falling off.
Music video
On June 6, 2009, Lovato confirmed to be on set of the corresponding music video to the song, via her official TwitterTwitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account. The music video to "Send It On" was first seen on Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
on August 14, 2009.
The music video begins with Miley Cyrus and Nick Jonas sitting on the edge of a dark stage where Nick, also playing the acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, and Miley singing the first verse. The video then changes to the two walking onto the brightly lighted stage, singing the chorus, and then being joined by Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas who sing the second verse. The entire group is then shown on the stage as they sing the chorus. Kevin and Joe Jonas then remove a curtain covering the background of stage to reveal a sky-painted backdrop in which Selena Gomez and Kevin Jonas proceed to sing the third verse. The ending of the video follows the entire group running out of a large stage door and through a "park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
-like" setting while finishing the song. A crowd of minors also begin running behind the group. The video ends with the group jumping onto and sitting on a couch in the middle of the park with the crowd stopping in the background.
Track listings
- U.S. Digital Download
- "Send It On" - 3:26
- U.S. Digital EP
- "Send It On" - 3:26
- "Send It On" (Music Video) - 3:25
- "Join Disney's Friends for Change" (Video) - 0:45
- "Register and Pledge" (Video) - 1:31
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| United States | August 7, 2009 | Radio Disney Radio Disney Radio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California and headquartered out of the Disney Channel headquarters on West Alameda Ave., from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas... |
| August 11, 2009 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
External links
- The official website of Disney's Friends for Change
- The official website of Demi Lovato
- The official website of the Jonas Brothers
- The official website of Miley Cyrus
- The official website of Selena Gomez
- "Send It On" music video on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
(posted by Hollywood RecordsHollywood RecordsHollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...
)