Just when you thought the infectious pop song "Happy" couldn't get any bigger, it launches into global politics and intergalactic fame.
Inspired by the feel-good music video of Pharrell Williams' Oscar-nominated tune, which features people dancing around Los Angeles, fans from around the world have started to make their own videos.
Even Star Wars fans in Tunisia teamed up with the national tourism office to shoot their own "Happy" video. And yes, it showcases people dressed as all the characters from the classic sci-fi adventure film dancing around the southern Tunisia desert, where the movie was partially filmed.
Williams, the pop music producer and rapper, has taken notice of his fans' tributes. He just launched a new campaign with the United Nations Foundation to promote its International Day of Happiness, or #HappyDay.
Pharrell and the UN are asking fans to submit their videos to the campaign's website to "take action to create a happier world for people everywhere." On #HappyDay, March 20, Pharrell will spotlight the best submissions at noon in each time zone, according to Rolling Stone magazine. The #HappyDay campaign is also encouraging people to donate to the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund to help global humanitarian efforts.
The first fan-made "Happy" videos came out of Tunisia back in February. They showcased the country's cities and dancing, smiling Tunisians. Now, there are "Happy" videos being uploaded online from all over the world, from spontaneous dancers on the street in Florence, to Carnival celebrators in Rio de Janiero, to cafe workers in Cape Town.
One YouTube user compiled a playlist of more than 150 versions of the song from every continent — some Morrocans even made a claymation Antarctica version.
There's even a "Happy" video of protestors dancing in front of the barricades at Maidan square in Kiev — just a month before the Ukrainian primer minister fled the city.
And although it lost its Oscar bid, "Happy" has reached a new level of fame on intertional music charts and a new level of engagement with its fans across borders.
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