Stephen Colbert was in a great mood on Wednesday night, as the countdown on the dome of the Ed Sullivan Theater ticking away the days of He Who Shall Remain Shameless’ presidency finally hit zero. To help him celebrate the inauguration of President Joe Biden, the Late Show host welcomed Peter CottonTale and an ensemble featuring Chance the Rapper, Cynthia Erivo, and Kofi Lost to perform “Together”.
Though created for Google’s year-end advertising campaign, the song does a fine job of welcoming 2021 with a sense of hope and inquisitiveness. For the Colbert performance, CottonTale conducted the Chicago’s Children’s Choir and Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, who all wore shirts that posed valuable questions like, “Why are some people asymptomatic?” and “Why are politicians wearing wheat?” Erivo came in for her verse sporting a tee reading, “Why George Floyd arrested?”, while Chance had “Why is social distancing important?” stamped on his chest.
Of course, there was more than a bit of irony in Chance the Rapper appearing for what was ostensibly a performance celebrating the healing of the incoming administration. During the election, he’d voiced his support for Kanye West’s joke of a bid over Joe Biden’s. Maybe he’s came around once West actually conceded the election.
Either way, you can watch the Chicago-heavy performance of “Together” below.
Released in December, “Together” was made in collaboration with over 80 Black artists, engineers, producers, musicians, and music executives.
