Credit: Randall SlavinMatchbox Twenty‘s first foray into the world of NFTs — the new technology that allows people to own a unique piece of digital content — has worked out pretty well.
The band’s first NFT offering, which included the rights to high-res digital images of the original lyric sheets for their hit song, “Unwell,” was sold for $24,000, proceeds from which went to the charities RADical Hope and The Trevor Project. Then, a donor kicked in an additional $50,000 directly to RADical Hope in support of the whole project.
RADical Hope addresses America’s youth mental health crisis, while The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth.
During a conversation about the NFT auction on the app Clubhouse last Thursday night, Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas, who wrote “Unwell,” spoke about why he wanted to tie the song to the current state of mental health in the country.
“What we’re really talking about is the mental health of our future generations,” Rob said. “Who we’re going to be ten years from now depends on how we treat people now, and I think the Trevor Project and RADical Hope are pinpointing a huge group that we might lose if we don’t let them know how special they are and how normal they are.”
“Unwell,” a top-10 hit in 2003, was recently interpolated by superstar DJ and producer Steve Aoki for a new song called “Used to Be,” featuring vocals by Kiiara and Wiz Khalifa. A new acoustic version incorporates Rob’s vocals as well.
By Andrea Dresdale
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