Nandi Bushell's Drumming Drives Cartoon Network 'Redraw Your World' Promo
Gil Kaufman | 10.21.21
British drum prodigy Nandi Bushell has already lived a lifetime of rock n' roll fantasies thanks to the global attention her hard-hitting viral videos have gained during the pandemic. Plus, not for nothing, she recently jammed on stage with her biggest rival/fan Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters after drawing praise for her covers from Muse and My Chemical Romance.
Now the 11-year-old has hit another early career pinnacle by providing the thumping backbeat to a new 70-second ad for the Cartoon Network's "Redraw Your World" branding campaign. In the spot, Bushell bashes away at her kit, which takes off and flies across the screen as the animated stars of some of the network's most beloved shows -- Teen Titans Go, The Amazing World of Gumball and We Bare Bears -- join her on her rockin' journey.
At one point they literally get lifted by her muscular beat, floating high above the city and then gathering to watch as Nandi uses the power of her skin-pounding to punch through a brick wall and make her way to a more inclusive place joined by her swarm of friends of all ages.
In a statement, the network said it is inviting viewers to redraw their worlds by "expressing yourself, being kind, making people laugh and creating change. Whether you use art, activism, laughter or music, always march to the beat of your own drum, just like Nandi Bushell – YOU have the power to Redraw Your World!"
Bushell is the CN's first official musician-in-residence. According to a statement from Tricia Melton, chief marketing office for Warner Bros. Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics, she personifies, "Redraw Your World in every way possible – she’s fearless, passionate, and quite literally marches to the beat of her own drum. Redraw Your World is our ethos in everything that we do, and these are the words we hope that our audiences can be inspired by to redraw their world.”
The spot features an original song called "Drawsticks," which was written, produced, and engineered by composers and artists Brain and Melissa. The gig is the latest high-profile effort from Bushell, who also sat in with Ringo Starr and a bevy of other legendary drummers for a Beatles cover to combat global hunger, and teamed up with another hero, Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, and his son Roman, to record the environmental anthem "The Children Will Rise Up."