NYCNext, a grassroots movement of 700+ volunteers, was created in August 2020 right as news headlines were claiming that the pandemic had rendered NYC “dead.” A group of passionate New Yorkers banded together and committed to rebuilding a better NYC through civic action.

Through NYCNext’s deep connections to the arts, a special project was born. Billy Joel gave exclusive rights to a video rendition of his iconic 1976 song “New York State of Mind”. NYCNext partnered with an array of artists and entertainers from Idina Menzel to Stephen Colbert to bring an uplifting video to life.

NYCNext enlisted Edelman to drive earned media attention to the video and the organization.