Random Acts of Kindness – Spotlight
- betterworldrecords
- Feb 9
- 4 min read
“I Wish”: How Random Acts of Kindness Turned a Song Into a Global Call for Peace[Click HERE to listen.]
Some songs arrive at exactly the moment the world seems to need them. “I Wish,” the latest release from musical collective Random Acts of Kindness, is one of those rare songs: simple on the surface, quietly powerful at its core and rooted in a belief that music can still inspire real change.
Written by Random Acts of Kindness founder Ken Freirich, who also serves as the song’s executive producer, “I Wish” is built on a series of lyrical hopes. “I was writing another song called ‘Peace for a Day,’ and had the idea for ‘I Wish’ for the bridge,” Freirich recalls. “I loved the messaging and lyrics so much that I developed it into its own song.”
Freirich points to the enduring influence of John Lennon’s “Imagine” as a touchstone while creating the emotionally resonant song. “I wanted to keep the song simple, but with deep and meaningful lyrics,” he says. “Through a series of wishes that create strong imagery in the verses, and using elements of the universe in the chorus, I wanted to provide listeners hope and inspiration at a time when the could use lifting up.”
While much of the song came together quickly, the chorus proved elusive. Freirich knew he wanted something that would support the verses rather than overpower them. Inspiration finally struck just minutes before a deadline.
“Fifteen minutes before my deadline, I found inspiration and wrote the chorus that we used for the song…a plea for help and change,” he says. That’s where the song’s references to Earth, the sun, and the moon come into play. In “I Wish,” those elements aren’t poetic decoration, they’re intentional symbols of shared power and responsibility. “I was trying to think of the most powerful forces of nature and then I thought of the Earth, sun and moon. The strong appeals in the chorus are to the universe and the elements that provide the light and energy for life that can help us break through the impasses of stubbornness and strong beliefs that cloud societies in the free world. I then used those elements to push us all to do better and to strive for a patient, accepting world that can bring peace and happiness.”
“I always start with the lyrics,” Freirich continues. “Then I pull in a team to write the music and produce the track.” He worked closed with acclaimed producer and engineer Mike Rogers, whose sonic touch elevates “I Wish” without ever overshadowing its message.
As executive producer, worked closely with Rogers, participating in sessions and offering feedback at every level, while still giving Rogers the freedom to do what he does best. The result is a track that feels both polished and deeply human, with a melody that is instantly memorable, the kind that lingers long after the song ends.
But perhaps the most powerful evolution of “I Wish” came when Freirich imagined it not just as a recording, but as a living project, one that could be carried by children’s voices around the world. “I had an idea to do different vocal versions of the song, featuring children’s choirs from around the world,” he says. “I felt that these meaningful lyrics about basic human needs delivered by children could harness the power of children’s voices to inspire and hopefully have an even greater impact on the world.”
That idea became reality last October, when “I Wish” was performed live for the first time by the San Diego Children’s Choir in front of 50,000 people at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships in Del Mar, California. The experience solidified a much larger vision: a Global Kindness Initiative, centered on releasing new versions of “I Wish” with children’s choirs from around the world and turning young singers into ambassadors for peace and empathy.
The next release, featuring the African Children’s Choir, was recorded in Uganda and arrives February 27, followed by a version by the National Choir of Anguilla and the Anguilla Music Academy in April and one by the San Diego Children’s Choir in May. Throughout 2026, Freirich plans to continue recording with choirs across the UK, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Australia, Canada and beyond. “I truly believe the figurative and literal power of children’s voices will have a tremendous impact on adults and help make the world a better place,” he says.
The song’s potential doesn’t stop there. Freirich reveals that “I Wish” could indeed grow into something on the scale of “We Are the World,” an idea that was foreshadowed when Freirich met with legendary manager Ken Kragen, the architect behind that historic project, several years ago. “Yes,” Freirich says simply. “I believe this is the song for that.”
Until then, new versions of the song, global choir releases, kindness-driven contests, artist cover competitions and partnerships with major artists and charities are in the works, all rooted in the same belief that music, when paired with intention, can still move people toward something better.
These plans reinforce that “I Wish” isn’t just a song. It’s an invitation to listen, to imagine and to choose kindness, again and again.
Listen to the original version of “I Wish” by Random Acts of Kindness HERE.
Written by Gayle Sib. Photographs Courtesy of Ken Freirich.
