Photo: WENN
The Band Aid 30 version of 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' has sold 206,000 copies so far this week, which makes it the fastest selling single of the year.
The re-worked version of the 1984 charity single has been released to raise money to combat Ebola in west Africa, and features musicians such as One Direction, Ellie Goulding, Bastille, Ed Sheeran, Bono and Paloma Faith.
According to its organiser, and the organiser of the original version, Bob Geldof, the single has already raised £1 million since it went on sale two days ago (17 November).
Watch Band Aid 30 perform 'Do They Know It's Christmas' below
Despite this, the song has been met with a fairly mixed response since its release, with many criticising its inherently negative depiction of Africa. In a piece for The Guardian, Fuse ODG discussed turning down Bob Geldof's request for him to sing on the single, highlighting lyrics such as 'There is no peace and joy in west Africa this Christmas.'
"For the past four years I have gone to Ghana at Christmas for the sole purpose of peace and joy. So for me to sing these lyrics would simply be a lie. In truth, my objection to the project goes beyond the offensive lyrics.
"I, like many others, am sick of the whole concept of Africa – a resource-rich continent with unbridled potential – always being seen as diseased, infested and poverty-stricken. In fact, seven out of 10 of the world’s fastest growing economies are in Africa."
Band Aid 30's 'Do They Know It's Christmas' is available to download at a cost of 99p, and a £4 CD version will be released next month. To download the track, visit here.
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