Michelle Obama Recruits Kelly Clarkson, Lea Michele and More Pop Stars to Belt It Out for Girls' Education

The singers are joining the first lady to create music for her "Let Girls Learn" initiative

Hollywood's brightest musical stars are lending their voices—literally—to one of the White House's most prominent female initiatives.

First Lady Michelle Obama has recruited Grammy winner Kelly Clarkson, former Disney star Zendaya, Glee alumna Lea Michele and a handful of more chart-topping singers to record a melody in honor of her Let Girls Learn initiative, which champions for girls worldwide to have access to adequate education.

In partnership with the #62milliongirls social media campaign, the group of songstresses hit the studio to produce "This Is For My Girls," written by eight-time Oscar nominee Diane Warren. The track launched on iHeartRadio Tuesday, debuted on iTunes Wednesday and is also scheduled to be performed live for the first time at South by Southwest, an annual music, film and interactive media festival. The proceeds from the song will go on to benefit the Let Girls Learn initiative. 

"Think about who — and what — you would be today if your formal education had ended after middle school and you knew only what you'd learned through eighth grade," Obama wrote in Wednesday's issue of Lena Dunham's newsletter, Lenny Letter. "It's inconceivable, right? We wouldn't dream of accepting this fate for ourselves — or for our friends, sisters, or daughters. So why would we accept it for any girl on this planet — especially when we've got piles of research telling us that girls who go to school marry later, have healthier families, and earn higher salaries?"

Clarkson, who is a mother to her own 1-year-old daughter River Rose Blackstock, rallied her fans in support against the growing social epidemic. 

"Education is key to opening minds and doors to opportunities that are absolutely possible!" she tweeted. 

Featured singer Janelle Monae praised FLOTUS for her commitment to this particular cause. "LOVE my first lady @FLOTUS so much AND all that she is doing to #LetGirlsLearn. We need her," she wrote on Twitter. 

"Against the most heartbreaking odds, these girls never lose hope in themselves," Obama wrote. "The least we can do is give them a chance to go to school, fulfill that hope, and become who and what they are meant to be."