Michael Franti
"I wanted this to be a record that would shake people's cynicism and say this world is still worth fighting for, there are still things in the world we should care about," Spearhead's Michael Franti says of the inspiration behind "Say Hey (I Love You)," a surprise first hit for the 15-year-old band. "But I knew in making a message like that it had to be fun. It had to be something you could dance to."
Whether it was because the song was fun and danceable or not, the jubilant tune definitely touched music fans in a big way. The track, a single from the album "All Rebel Rockers," rose into the top 40 of five different Billboard charts including a No. 6 peak on the Adult Pop Songs tally, a first for Spearhead. Franti recently stopped by the Billboard.com studios for a video Q&A in which he talked about his reaction to the song's success ("I still can't believe it!"), how it coincided with a ruptured appendix, the band's plans to rerecord some of their vast catalog as a "starter kit" for fans new and old, and why he's been barefoot for nine years. No, really. Barefoot. For nine years.
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