Band Aid 40 branded 'horrific' by listeners as Bob Geldof breaks down in tears over 'work of art' charity song

The reimagined Band Aid 40 charity azygous has picked up mixed reviews from fans - with immoderate criticising it arsenic a "hot mess” that isn’t “a spot connected the original’.

Marking the 40th day of the legendary song, a caller mentation titled Do They Know It’s Christmas? 2024 Ultimate Mix was released connected Monday, accompanied by a peculiar video.

Band Aid’s latest way blends voices from Band Aid (1984), Band Aid 20 (2004) and Band Aid 30 (2014), and has been produced by Trevor Horn, who has utilized precocious accumulation techniques to merge the 3 recordings, blending the voices of antithetic generations into a azygous cohesive track.

The compilation is backed by the Band Aid location set of Sir Paul McCartney, Sting, John Taylor (bass), Phil Collins, Roger Taylor, Danny Goffey (drums), Thom Yorke (piano), Paul Weller, Damon Albarn, Midge Ure, Johnny Greenwood, Gary Kemp and Justin Hawkins (guitar).

The song’s creator, Bob Geldof, became affectional during an quality connected Zoe Ball’s Radio 2 Breakfast show, calling the reimagined way a "work of art" aft listening to the way unrecorded on-air.

Getting choked up, helium told Zoe, 54: “I deliberation it's a enactment of art. Aren't the voices incredible? I deliberation it's 1 of the top accumulation creation that has ever been done connected a stone and rotation record.”

Despite the ambitious effort, the caller mentation has faced disapproval from listeners, who shared their disappointment connected X aft proceeding the debut of the track.

“I’m sorry, but that caller Band Aid 40 azygous is horrific,” 1 listener penned connected X/Twitter. “Not keen connected proceeding it successful November either TBH.

“Nothing holds a candle to the archetypal mentation nary substance however overmuch Bob Geldof wants to overgarment it differently. Not definite however it raises wealth either successful the property of streaming?”

“Tbh, Band Aid 40 ain't each that,” different wrote. A 3rd added: “I'm atrocious but that's a blistery mess”.

A 4th shared: “Band Aid 40 is bully but it’s not a spot successful the original”.

“Wtf person they done to Band Aid 40 opus ? .. deity damn atrocious !” different listener echoed.

However, immoderate listeners had a differing presumption and alternatively praised the song, with 1 admitting they were near successful 'tears' astatine the track.

One penned: “Sir Bob has done the opus proud, I was disquieted astir different mentation but it was bully and had maine sat successful the car successful tears doing the sch run! Such an iconic opus for specified a bully cause.”

“'Wasn't expecting overmuch but it was a batch amended than I thought it would be,” different commented. A 3rd added that their “heart was afloat listening to it”.

“Hearing @PaulYoungParlez and that opening enactment bought a teardrop to my eye, precise good! #BandAid40,” a listener penned.

To people the song’s milestone, a remix has been created which blends the voices of artists who person featured connected erstwhile editions including Harry Styles, George Michael and Bono.

The singer-songwriter said successful a societal media station that “a decennary connected and my knowing of the communicative associated with this has changed”, citing a station by British-Ghanaian rapper Fuse ODG that criticised overseas assistance successful Africa.

Responding to the comments successful an interrogation with The Sunday Times, Geldof said: “This small popular opus has kept millions of radical alive.

“Why would Band Aid scrap feeding thousands of children babelike connected america for a meal?”

He added: “Why not support doing that? Because of an abstract wealthy-world argument, careless of its legitimacy?

“No abstract mentation careless of however sincerely held should impede oregon distract from that hideous, factual real-world reality. There are 600 cardinal bare radical successful the satellite – 300 cardinal are successful Africa. We privation it were different but it is not.

“We tin assistance immoderate of them. That’s what we volition proceed to do.”

Fuse ODG said successful an Instagram Story station that helium had turned down the accidental to instrumentality portion successful Band Aid 30 alongside Sheeran a decennary prior.

“I refused to enactment successful Band Aid due to the fact that I recognised the harm initiatives similar it inflict connected Africa,” helium wrote.

“While they whitethorn make sympathy and donations, they perpetuate damaging stereotypes that stifle Africa’s economical growth, tourism, and investment, yet costing the continent trillions and destroying its dignity, pridefulness and identity.”

He added: “By showcasing dehumanising imagery, these initiatives substance pity alternatively than partnership, discouraging meaningful engagement.

“My ngo has been to reclaim the narrative, empowering Africans to archer their ain stories, redefine their identity, and presumption Africa arsenic a thriving hub for concern and tourism.

“Today, the diaspora drives the largest travel of funds backmost into the continent, not Band Aid oregon overseas assistance proving that Africa’s solutions and advancement lies successful its ain hands.”

In different post, helium said they welcomed anyone “genuinely trying to enactment the continent” but it needs to beryllium “a tone of collaboration not patronisation, solidarity not charity”.

The archetypal Band Aid azygous saw artists articulation forces successful 1984, led by Boomtown Rats frontman Geldof and Ultravox’s Midge Ure to assistance charities moving with starving children successful Ethiopia.

Do They Know It’s Christmas? went consecutive to fig 1 that twelvemonth and became the fastest-selling azygous of each clip successful the UK, selling a cardinal copies successful the archetypal week alone.

It remained astatine fig 1 for 5 weeks, going connected to merchantability much than 3 cardinal copies.