Ezra Collective & Greentea Peng – Helicopters
“Helicopters” is the fifth single from HELP(2), the War Child UK benefit compilation out March 6 via War Child Records. It pairs Ezra Collective with London soul singer Greentea Peng, whose second album Tell Dem It’s Sunny came out last year. Produced by Ezra Collective and mixed by David Wrench, the track is rooted in soundsystem culture: a sloping bassline, dub textures, skanking grooves. It’s understated for a charity compilation single, and that’s exactly what makes it work.
The song is a protest track, directly. Greentea Peng wrote the lyrics from the streets during demonstrations, watching surveillance helicopters circle overhead. “They hover above us in their flying machines, their helicopters, pre-empting chaos, as if we are the ones who need watching, as if we are the ones reaping havoc”, she says. “From the streets, amidst my peers, gathered in their thousands, I found myself looking up and wondering… if only you were looking in the right direction. That is how these lyrics came to be. The rest is down to my talented brethren of the Ezra Collective. Give thanks”. Femi Koleoso of Ezra Collective adds: “We truly believe every child in the world deserves the blessing of clean water, education and a conflict-free country. The opportunity to use music to take a small step in achieving this is a gift”.
HELP(2) was produced by James Ford and recorded mostly over one week in November 2025 at Abbey Road Studios — a nod to the original 1995 HELP album, which was famously cut in a single day. Jonathan Glazer served as Creative Director, with children filming behind-the-scenes footage at the studios and on the ground in Ukraine, Gaza, Yemen, and Sudan. The tracklist is stacked: Arctic Monkeys, Pulp, Big Thief, Fontaines D.C., Depeche Mode, Beth Gibbons, Wet Leg, Olivia Rodrigo and more. “Helicopters” sits at track nine — right in the middle of the record.
When HELP was first released in 1995, around 10% of the world’s children were affected by conflict. Today that figure is nearly 1 in 5, or 520 million children.
HELP(2) is out March 6. All proceeds go to War Child UK.
Tracklist:
- Arctic Monkeys – Opening Night
- Damon Albarn, Grian Chatten & Kae Tempest – Flags
- Black Country, New Road – Strangers
- The Last Dinner Party – Let’s Do It Again!
- Beth Gibbons – Sunday Morning
- Arooj Aftab & Beck – Lilac Wine
- King Krule – The 343 Loop
- Depeche Mode – Universal Soldier
- Ezra Collective & Greentea Peng – Helicopters
- Arlo Parks – Nothing I Could Hide
- English Teacher & Graham Coxon – Parasite
- Beabadoobee – Say Yes
- Big Thief – Relive, Redie
- Fontaines D.C. – Black Boys on Mopeds
- Cameron Winter – Warning
- Young Fathers – Don’t Fight the Young
- Pulp – Begging for Change
- Sampha – Naboo
- Wet Leg – Obvious
- Foals – When the War is Finally Done
- Bat For Lashes – Carried my girl
- Anna Calvi, Ellie Rowsell, Nilüfer Yanya & Dove Ellis – Sunday Light
- Olivia Rodrigo – The Book of Love
