It might be November, but we still can’t stop thinking about last month’s Freaknight Festival. USC Event’s spooky spectacular, celebrating its 20th anniversary, almost had it all; good music, new friends, terrific costumes and memorable moments galore. From Armin van Buuren busting out a wealth of psy trance, to Martin Garrix appearing on-stage in a kick ass wizard costume, it’s hard to decide which one moment was our favorite of that weekend. 3lau stopping his set to announce his charitable efforts to the crowd at the Twisted Big Top main stage? Now that definitely ranks high on our list.
With it being Thanksgiving week, we stop and praise people we are thankful for, Mr. Justin (3lau) Blau being one. In a time where you hear so much about the bad going on in the world, it’s nice to have an artist who is committed to spreading good. Someone who is going beyond borders to help those in need. A beacon of light.
3lau isn’t the only electronic music artist who gives back to the community. Steve Aoki, Hardwell and Tiesto are examples of other big names who are committed to making a difference. What separates 3lau from the pack though is the way he does it. This spring, 3lau announced through Billboard Dance the creation of BLUME, a not-for-profit dance music label and philanthropic movement- the first of its kind. In an interview with US weekly, 3lau says tracks released under BLUME will raise about half a cent per stream. So far, Is It Love and Fire are the only charity tracks but repeated plays on services like Spotify has helped to raise more than $200,000! His next single, You Want More comes out this Friday and like the aforementioned tracks, this one too will help raise money for charity.
Currently, proceeds have been going toward the charity Pencils of Promise (PoP). The idea to give back started in 2013 when 3lau visited a school in Guatemala built with money from PoP, according to Billboard. Money raised from BLUME will help PoP construct more schools, in addition to being allocated for other causes.
As we anticipate his single, it brings comfort to know that just by playing it on a service like Spotify will help those in need. So here’s an extra Thanksgiving turkey leg for you Justin, it’s the least we can do! If you’re interested in helping PoP as well, more information can be found here.
Which artist are you thankful for? Drop a comment and let us know!
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