More about: Boy George

Boy George has recorded a new version of the Village People’s 1978 hit, ‘YMCA’, in support of the Australian Why Not? campaign. Organised by the Australian branch of the YMCA, the campaign aims to highlight the issues that are of importance to Australian youth: marriage equality, mental health and youth unemployment.

Speaking to Guardian Australia, Melinda Crole, CEO of YMCA in Australia said: “We had a big conversation about how we can be a social movement for young people. One of the assets we had was the recognisable YMCA song. When you are introduced as working for the YMCA, you always got the arm movements.”

She continued: “Research shows an overwhelming link between marriage equality and mental health – we are prepared to stand up for that.

“When you listen to the reason why the song was written and listen to the verses, then you see it fits with our social mission. We want to be a social movement for young people and with young people.”

Boy George’s new version is a radically re-worked rendition of the disco classic. Here, it’s stripped down and acoustic yet it’s an approach that works. There’s a tenderness and inclusivity at play here that perhaps isn’t suggested in the original, stomping version.

Boy George said: “It’s the opposite of the original version. It needs to be, in order to work as a cover. Who’d want to be reinventing the Eiffel Tower in exactly the same way?

“I thought I would give it a give a jazzy tone – but not too much Ethel Merman.”

Boy George is currently in Down Under as judge on Australia’s The Voice talent show. He says that he was surprised to find that Australia doesn’t recognise same-sex marriages.

He said: “You have in Australia a massive Mardi Gras. As an outsider, you don’t think of Australia as being old-fashioned – it’s only when you’ve been here for a period of time when you realise there are issues.”

More about: Boy George