After the giant mess that was 2020, it would be nice for 2021 to bring us all some joy.
That’s Calvin “Pee Wee” Callins’ latest mission of music. Callins, a longtime gospel artist and pastor at Greater New Hope Anointed Ministries, knows people could use something to uplift their spirits and feel good — and he knows how he can help. His latest song, titled “Till the World,” was written to be just what people need to start 2021 off right.
“With so much going on in 2020 with COVID and the different racial stuff, you see the tension in America… you can just feel it,” Callins said. “We were losing the sense of who we are and being there for one another. My belief and the way I was brought up is that love can conquer anything.”
This labor of love stems from an idea Callins had as far back as 1996, when he put his own spin on Diana Ross’s classic “What the World Needs Now.” It was fitting to Callins 25 years later because, with so much tension in America and the rest of the world being the defining factor of 2020, the world could really use some more love, sweet love. So he linked up with local Grammy-winning producer Cliff Brown and Tampa rapper Doechii to help him reach the masses through music.
“I just wanted to write something to get a message out through music,” Callins said. “Not everybody wants to hear a sermon, different speeches or lectures — I wanted to say something through music, something that could make us think and make us want to feel good and dance. When I was thinking about it, I was thinking about what producer I could use. Cliff just popped up in my mind, I gave him a call and we were meeting within hours to talk about the song. We put a team together.”
Brown, co-producer Shorne Callahan and Doechii had much of the song already worked out before Callins came aboard. Brown said they originally worked on it for a compilation record and, like Callins, had the intention of using the song as a vehicle for positive energy.
“When COVID first hit, it not only was COVID going on but also there were political tensions,” Brown said. “We just wanted to be a source of light instead of using our energy to expose the negative. We wanted to say no matter what’s happening around us right now, we want our music to be a source of hope. Music is a bridge that can bring people together.”
When Callins approached Brown with the idea of releasing a single, Brown said he knew the pastor’s powerful voice would be a perfect fit and the final piece of that puzzle.
“She wrote the majority of the song and painted the picture that I wanted to get across,” Callins said.
Till the World, released on Five5 Records, will be available tomorrow on all major streaming platforms.