Thanks to Boy George, We Will Dance Again. Again.

Two months ago, I wrote an essay about Boy George’s AI-assisted track We Will Dance Again. While I was grateful to finally hear a song of support for the Jews and our right to self-determination, I was disappointed in the method of delivery. As I mentioned in my original post, I am a huge fan of music shown through hundreds of physical media and torn ticket stubs. I have been a fan of Culture Club and Boy George for decades. His 2013 album, This Is What I Do, is one of my favorite records of the past 25 years.

George O’Dowd’s voice no longer sounds like that of the barely-twenty-something who sang Do You Really Want to Hurt Me? and Victims. It sounds better. You can almost hear the lived experience in Boy George’s voice. His voice is still as soulful as ever, but it is huskier, and deeper.

I was upset with George for dropping an AI-assisted song with lyrics so powerful to our community and so desperately in need of his voice, but I was even more upset with the thousands of people who had no clue that the voice on the song didn’t belong to the man who wrote it.

Critics used the AI-assisted track to lob all sorts of allegations at George, and the song was removed from mainstream music streaming platforms, not necessarily for its message of solidarity with the Jews, but because it contravened NO-AI policies. The same “fans” who could not tell the difference between Boy George and a computer created vocal started screaming antisemitism on social media. That does not help. I can tell you what did. Boy George doubling down by re-recording We Will Dance Again with his voice and releasing it to all mainstream streaming services. The result? Top 40 Chart positions across France, England, and most of Europe.