A former Backstreet Boy has taken on an old pop music classic.
AJ McLean, long viewed as the most brooding personality of the boy band, is hoping to raise spirits with a stirring cover of Cat Stevens's Wild World.
Released online on Wednesday, May 13, McLean's version maintains the folkish feel of the original, while changing some of the lyrics to reflect our current times.
The opening verse has new lyrics that call for community solidarity in the face of the pandemic.
“Now that we lost everything to you,” the new take begins, “Say we’re gonna start something new, come together and be better and believe it, be our brother’s keeper.”
The song’s distinctive chorus also receives a minor tweak, with the original line, “I'll always remember you like a child,” replaced with, “I’ll always remember this moment in time.”
The accompanying video intersperses visuals of McLean standing among lush greenery and holding up cue cards with the song's lyrics (an homage to Bob Dylan's 1965 music video Subterranean Homesick Blues) with footage of medical professions treating patients struck with Covid-19.
"I just want to take a minute to thank so many people. Our first responders: doctors, nurses, people that work in grocery stores helping us get food. Police officers, firemen and everyone that has helping us to get through this," he says. "We can do this. One love. God bless you guys, let's stay together and let's beat Covid-19."
McLean discussed the concept of the song further with US Weekly.
“I changed it to really positive [lyrics] because I just want to bring positivity to people right now and bring people smiles, even behind your mask,” he said. “You can tell when someone’s smiling, even with a mask on, because their cheeks go up.”
McLean was also asked which Backstreet Boy he would be most comfortable to quarantine with.
“I would say Brian [Littrell]. Just because we are both golfers, so we can chip in the backyard, we can hang out and we are both kind of goof balls," he said. "I think we can make quite a few activities fun that may not normally be fun.”
The story behind 'Wild World'
The song was released as a single from Stevens's 1970 classic album Tea for the Tillerman, seven years before he converted to Islam and took on the name Yusuf Islam. It was inspired by Steven's former relationship with Patti D'Arbanville.
Wild World is one of a number of tracks dedicated to the former model and actress, including the hit Lady D'Arbanville, released that same year.
In a 2019 interview with Billboard magazine, Stevens described Wild World as a "parting song" for D'Arbanville and revealed it was composed during a particularly tumultuous period for him – he was also, at the time, in the early stages of his spiritual awakening.
“We’d had some great times together, but I started recording and she was doing her modelling and it just became like two different worlds,” he said.
“And because I’d had such an experience of almost falling off the planet, I knew there were a lot of dangers out there so it was kind of me talking to myself about the second career I was about to embark on and also talking to her about her career. We’d basically split at that point, and that was the ode to our parting.”
Regarding its enduring appeal, Stevens said the song’s fraught lyrics echo the ache and longing of a parent.
“It’s a mother’s song, too, I would think, it’s very appropriate for a mother, also,” he said “Watching kids walk out the door is not an easy thing.”
Other cover versions of 'Wild World'
The latest take on the song by AJ Mclean joins an already hefty and eclectic number of renditions ranging from rock and reggae to blistering punk. Here are five notable versions.
1971: Jimmy Cliff
A new star at the time, the reggae singer was one of the first major acts to cover Wild World. His upbeat version solidified his international fan base.
1988: Maxi Priest
The British star delivered an ever-so-smooth pop take that became a major hit across Europe. The track remains a staple of Maxi Priest's concerts.
1993: Mr Big
With the exception of extra harmonies and subtle guitar noodling, the American rock group also remained faithful to the original and scored a hit across Europe and the US.
2001: Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
A break up never sounded so giddy. The US group, which specialises in punk music covers of pop hits, sped things up and transformed Wild World's anguish into sheer exuberance.
2017: Bastille
The UK pop rock group previewed an a cappella version of their rendition in a radio interview in 2017, stating that a full band version would appear as part of their two-part mixtape, Other People's Heartbreak. As it turned out, the cover was dropped from the project. That said, you can still hear the preview online.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Need to know
Unlike other mobile wallets and payment apps, a unique feature of eWallet is that there is no need to have a bank account, credit or debit card to do digital payments.
Customers only need a valid Emirates ID and a working UAE mobile number to register for eWallet account.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
PSL FINAL
Multan Sultans v Peshawar Zalmi
8pm, Thursday
Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
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Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
The%20specs
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The years Ramadan fell in May
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Secret Pigeon Service: Operation Colomba, Resistance and the Struggle to Liberate Europe
Gordon Corera, Harper Collins
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Brief scores:
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Gundogan 27', De Bruyne 85'
Crystal Palace 3
Schlupp 33', Townsend 35', Milivojevic 51' (pen)
Man of the Match: Andros Townsend (Crystal Palace)
SPECS
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Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 362hp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)
Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
ARM%20IPO%20DETAILS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EShare%20price%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ETarget%20raise%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%248%20billion%20to%20%2410%20billion%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProjected%20valuation%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2460%20billion%20to%20%2470%20billion%20(Source%3A%20Bloomberg)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ELead%20underwriters%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Barclays%2C%20Goldman%20Sachs%20Group%2C%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20and%20Mizuho%20Financial%20Group%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
