Jessica Guerrucci – Editor-in-Chief
With all eyes on the 2020 Presidential Election, the band Mt. Joy put their feelings simply in their latest song release “Mr. President,” saying “Yes, we need a new President.”
This isn’t the only diss track attacking Donald Trump, the current president, that was released leading up to Nov. 3. Celebrities have taken up their call to action and have been actively voicing their political views through songs – a responsibility they should proudly bear.
Mt. Joy offers a more optimistic approach to the dreaded election, implying that even if the country is at its final breaking point, there’s hope – if we “give it all our energy” and come together.
Demi Lovato’s recent release “Commander in Chief” came as a vocal masterpiece aimed at Trump, criticizing him for his leadership and action on the issues of COVID-19 and racial injustice.
“We’re in a state of crisis, people are dyin’, while you line your pockets deep,” Lovato sings, referring to COVID-19, with over eight million cases in the U.S. at the time of the song’s release.
This song came as a more direct attack on many of Trump’s policies- a bold stance for the artist, who said she doesn’t care if the song ruins her career. She’d rather voice her opinions as an American and create something she believes in.
“I’ll take integrity in my work over sales any day,” she said about the song.
You have to be able to respect that.
These two songs came as recent as October, both a chance to sing out their views to fans, hopefully to help them make what they believe is the correct political decision for our country, but also showing that music and politics are intertwined.
These songs, while a direct attack, both offer some degree of hope. Mt. Joy suggests “we fall in love” with our country again. Lovato chants “won’t give up, stand our ground. We’ll be in the streets while you’re bunkering down.”
They empower a generation who is strongly influenced and has been speaking out widely for what they believe in and now they have these anthems to sing along to while they do it.
There has been more harsh attacks on our current president throughout the year like in YG’s “FDT,” and if you know the song, you know what that means. The song’s cover is a picture of Trump’s face, so it doesn’t get any more direct than that.
Even with the callouts around racism and the chorus stating quite directly YG’s feelings, the song still offers the central piece that makes these songs powerful – hope.
“We the youth. We the people of this country. We got a voice too. We will be seen. And we will be heard,” he sings.
With articles naming the “The best anti-Donald Trump protest songs from the past four years” prior to election day, it’s clear there’s no shortage of diss tracks.
But whether you like Trump or not, the musical pieces are a statement. These artists are going out on a limb, risking their career by making such a statement.
I mean, look at Lil Wayne. He’s been thrown to “cancel culture” after meeting with Trump and supposedly endorsing him before the election, while his tweet implied, he simply had a conversation with him about criminal justice reform – something that has the potential to be good.
Point is, whichever side of the argument you’re on, it is a risk to make a statement politically – without knowing what impact it will have on your musical career.
So even if they don’t necessarily agree with one side, it can hurt their career if they associate themselves with someone their fans don’t like.
But ultimately, these artists know they have influence, and if they want to stand up and use their platform to mobilize a young voter population at a time where our country is extremely divided, I’d say by all means – do it.