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Guyana’s Eddy Grant’s ‘Electric Avenue’ featured in this year’s Super Bowl
“It’s not once that BMW has chosen me and this particular song. It’s twice and that must be a world record itself because I can’t think of anybody else in the space of five years who had the same song used by a company for the Super Bowl. It’s a massive stage and every artiste, every writer would like to have this opportunity.” – Eddy Grant
By Davina Bagot
Kaieteur News – Iconic Guyanese artiste, Eddy Grant has given his fans yet another reason to brag as he continues to display his talent on the international stage.This year, Grant, a singer/song writer, was privileged to have his song used in one of the advertisements played during the airing of the Super Bowl, viewed by millions globally.
The iconic Eddy Grant is a proud Guyanese.
Since its emergence in the late 1960’s, the United States (US) playoffs would see the best teams in the football sport meeting to defend or battle for the title, and given the importance of the game to the US, millions of dollars would be pumped into various aspects of the event.
Grant’s song, ‘Electric Avenue’, was featured in a Super Bowl advertisement, which utilised the acting prowess of seasoned Hollywood stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Salma Hayek, showcasing the German manufactured BMW iX, released only this year.
The song was ideal for the advertisement, as the BMW iX is fully electric. During the minute-long video, the two actors gleefully sang along to the legend’s ‘Electric Avenue’.
On Saturday, Kaieteur News was able to speak with the international star, who said it was humbling to know that his song, released over 40 years ago, is still relevant and talked about, even with the many new artistes currently in the entertainment spotlight.
“Songs especially great ones don’t get old…the industry has changed and now instead of people selling millions of records, they do other things with music which is what I have been doing with Electric Avenue and so many other of my songs,” Grant explained.
He added, “There is a greater value in a great song than in most things whether it be real estate or whatever,” as he pointed to the importance of music.
Actors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Salma Hayek sing along to Eddy Grant’s ‘Electric Avenue’ during the Super Bowl commercial.
Grant said he was particularly pleased that his song was selected twice by BMW to be featured in a commercial for the Super Bowl, as he recalled that back in 2015, Electric Avenue was featured in another advertisement. “It’s not once that BMW has chosen me and this particular song. It’s twice and that must be a world record in itself because I can’t think of anybody else in the space of five years who had the same song used by a company for the Super Bowl. It’s a massive stage and every artiste, every writer, would like to have this opportunity,” he detailed.
The sought-after song was released in 1982 and was nominated for a Grammy Award the following year. The song remained at the top of music charts for weeks and has been recognised across the world.
Brother of the singing sensation, Rudy Grant, on Saturday too told this newspaper that he is proud of his sibling’s accomplishment.
He pointed out that some US$7 million would be paid for a 30 seconds advertisement and it was refreshing to know that his brother’s talent could be featured. Rudy Grant told Kaieteur News that his iconic brother was contacted through his agents about his song being used and a cost was negotiated.
He said, “It feels good to know that your brother with whom you sat down with for years can have his song featured on such a grand stage. They could have used any song, but using his was just a blessing.”
Back in 2015, ‘Electric Avenue’ was also used in a commercial for the i3 electric car.
The ad featured two of America’s best known television presenters, Bryant Gumbel and Katie Couric, who were seen dancing to the song at the end of the ad. Back then, Grant said, “I have been in the music industry for over 40 years and it is nice to know that a song I wrote and recorded 33 years ago is still in demand and could still be relevant in today’s commercial market.”
In 2020, Grant and former US President Donald Trump had faced off, after the US official included ‘Electric Avenue’ in his campaign without first consulting the superstar.
Electric Avenue became an International hit, first in England and Europe in 1982, then went on to take America and Canada by storm – No.1 on the Cashbox Charts and No.2 on the Billboard Charts in America – and was nominated for a Grammy in the Best R&B Song category.
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