From Talent to Activism AY Young's Journey as a Sustainability Advocate and UN SDG Champion

There's something to be said about the power of being called to make music. But when that power combines with an unshakeable mission to change the world for the better, what you get is the tour de force known as AY Young. 

A UN-recognized sustainability advocate and SDG Champion who's devoted his music to activism since his teens, Young launches the next phase of his Battery Tour with a historic renewable-powered Times Square concert on September 21st (the UN International Day of Peace). 

The event is free and open to the public and features virtual messages from Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, Shakira, Jane Goodall, Michael Douglas, Leonardo DiCaprio, and more. 

Event begins at noon. Info here. Livestream the performance here.  

With more than 900 performances to date, AY’s globe-spanning Battery Tour has pioneered a unique approach to live music. Powered entirely by renewable energy, the Battery Tour seamlessly blends music with education, community upliftment, and humanitarian initiatives.The Battery Tour has also revolutionized musical performance by introducing collaborative solutions to the global energy crisis. To advance his cause, AY has fostered international cooperation, forging partnerships with corporate brands like Samsung, General Motors and BNP Paribas and civil society organizations like the Joint SDG Fund, Global Resilience Partnership, National Wildlife Foundation, We Don’t Have Time, New Use Energy, Sauntr, Plastic Pollution Coalition, Ideas for Us, Faraday Foundation and Clever Carbon.

It's not difficult to see why: "GOALS" bumps with a sense of hope that's impossible to resist. 

As much as AY's music rouses a feeling of duty towards our collective stewardship of the earth, he also understands that hope is the greatest motivator. It also doesn't hurt to have one of the year's catchiest hooks in your back pocket — which could just as easily be said about previous single "2030." 

"GOALS" is the title track from Young's new EP due on March 16th. TheEP sets the stage for Young's upcoming full-length Project 17, which features a track dedicated to each of the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals. 

Freelance Writer

Emily Hinde