Put Pal on a leash and grab Buster Baxter—Arthur is back in the spotlight.
The cartooned aardvark got a modern reinvention this week, 18 years after he first hit the airwaves, when Chance the Rapper released a new take on the famed Arthur theme song, “Believe in Yourself.”
The recording artist, 21, grew up with the animated series, and first performed his own version of the empowering anthem at music festivals earlier this year. Enlisting Wyclef Jean, producers Peter Cottontale, Nate Fox, Donnie Trumpet and Stix for Social Experiment, Chance released “Wonderful Everyday: Arthur” on Wednesday, July 30.
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The soulful song opens with the lyrics “Everyday it could be wonderful,” taking inspiration from the original PBS theme song. As the track builds, it borrows directly from “Believe in Yourself” with the bars, “It’s a simple message / and it comes from the heart / believe in yourself / well that’s a place to start.”
“Wonderful Everyday: Arthur” also features vocals from Francis & The Lights, Jesse Ware, Elle Varner, Eryn Allen Kane, and The O’my’s. Chance the Rapper released his last collection of new material, Acid Rap, in April 2013, and is expected to release a studio album in the coming months.
Take a listen to “Wonderful Everyday” above!
