Lily Allen has revealed that she turned down an offer from Bob Geldof to perform on Band Aid 30’s charity single ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ calling the release “smug”.
Related: Band Aid 30 Makes £1million Just Minutes After Being Released
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Allen said:
“I got an email asking me to do it. It’s difficult to give an explanation why I didn’t do it without sounding like a complete c**t.
“I prefer to do my charitable bit by donating actual money and not being lumped in with a bunch of people like that.”
She added: “It’s like the ‘Success Club’ and I’m not really in that club. I don’t think I’m above it all – I’m way below it. But there’s something a bit smug about it.”
The track garnered massive sales in the UK, going straight to number one in the Official UK Single’s Chart and selling 312,000 copies. However, the track has had its fair share of criticisms since its unveiling, with Damon Albarn branding it “patronising” towards Africans.
The Blur frontman said: “All those people who are making that, taking that afternoon out of their schedules, go to Africa, experience it, feel that sense of magic and maybe have a different attitude to life when you come back.”
One of the charity project’s participants Emeli Sande also wasn’t happy with the outcome of the track, saying that her own lyrics were rejected by organisers Bob Geldof and Midge Ure and that she feels that a “whole new Band Aid song is needed”.
