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Rock

X Ambassadors Debut New Song 'Hoping,' Benefitting the ACLU: Listen

By Taylor Weatherby
3/10/2017
By Taylor Weatherby
3/10/2017
X Ambassadors
Austin Hargrave

X Ambassadors? photographed by Austin Hargrave at Bottle Rock Napa Valley Music Festival on May 28, 2016.

X Ambassadors are back with a brand new track, and it's one with purpose.

Titled "Hoping," the song is a declaration of exactly what its title and lyrics insinuate: Hope in a time when many people may not have a lot of it. "Though my faith is shaky, I got to keep on hoping / Keep on hoping / It all feels broken / Got to keep your hope alive," X Ambassadors' lead singer Sam Harris sings over heartfelt piano and a somber drum beat.

In line with the inspirational message, all proceeds from the song in the next six months will go to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which has been fighting Donald Trump's immigration ban. And as X Ambassador's drummer, Adam Levin, explains, the song itself is a response to the Trump presidency.

Artist Mentioned

X Ambassadors

“Hoping” is a song we wrote in the days following the 2017 presidential election," Levin told Billboard exclusively. "The day after the election we woke up scared, and we’ve woken up scared every day since. We decided to turn that fear into action, and wrote a song." 

Harris added in a statement, "We will continue to fight against sexism, racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, homophobia, xenophobia, and the pervasive intolerance being encouraged under our current administration. As long as there are those of us who suffer and experience injustice in this world, we will continue to use our music and our voices to speak up. Our resistance is one of love and hope."

X Ambassadors' song release follows a benefit concert the band hosted for Planned Parenthood on March 7 -- the eve of International Women's Day -- at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles. Harris recently told Billboard, "I think its an artist’s duty to kind of reflect the times and do what they can to make the world a better place" -- between the concert and the song, he and his band are certainly holding true to that.

Listen to "Hoping" below.

By Taylor Weatherby
3/10/2017

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