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election 2024

Neil Young has made it clear he’s no fan of Donald Trump. The “Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World” guitar hero has threatened to sue twice impeached convicted felon Trump before for playing his songs at campaign rallies, and over the weekend Young made it clear that he does not want to give the former President a second chance in Washington.
“Kamala Harris — She is an honest forthright truth teller who is experienced in the White House, free from ambiguity or evasiveness, who goes straight to the point,” wrote Young on his Archives site on Friday about the sitting Vice President, who is less than a month away from possibly becoming the nation’s first female President.

“Clear headed, young enough to hold the office for a couple of bright future terms, Kamala Harris is a good person who is unafraid to take on criminals and uphold the law of the USA. She’s my candidate for the future of this country,” he continued.

Toronto-born Young, 78 — who became a naturalized American citizen in 2020 — has been very vocal about his disdain for Trump, who continues to peddle the false narrative that he won the 2020 election over President Joe Biden, while over the weekend hurling his latest insult at his opponent when he referred to former Senator and California Attorney General Harris as “retarded.”

“Kamala Harris will take on the billionaire class and make them pay their fair share of taxes,” Young concluded. “She will not owe them favors. She is a kind, considerate American. Cast your vote for a beautiful future for your family. Kamala Harris for President.”

After years of threatening to sue Trump for using his music at campaign rallies without permission, as well as penning a scathing open letter to the former reality TV star in which he referred to Trump as “a disgrace to my country,” Young’s endorsement is a double-down on his August decision to let Harris’ VP pic, Gov. Tim Walz, officially use his song “Rockin’ in the Free World” during campaign events.

Young joins a growing list of A-list stars who’ve stepped up to support Harris since she unexpectedly jumped into the race in July when President Biden agreed to not seek a second term. Among the artists proudly supporting Harris are: Beyoncé, Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, Barbra Streisand, Taylor Swift, Megan Thee Stallion, P!nk, Bon Iver, Bruce Springsteen, Olivia Rodrigo, Ariana Grande and many more.

Janet Jackson questioned Kamala Harris’ race in an interview published by The Guardian on Saturday (Sept. 21).
The interview touched upon the singer’s Together Again Tour, how she’s recorded “a lot of music that’s just sitting on the shelf,” and being a parent. It also shifted to the topic of the upcoming U.S. election, with the reporter noting Americans could elect their first Black, female president: democratic nominee Harris.

“Well, you know what they supposedly said?” Jackson chimed in. “She’s not Black — that’s what I heard, that she’s Indian.”

Added Jackson, “Her father’s white, that’s what I was told. I mean, I haven’t watched the news in a few days. I was told that they discovered her father was white.”

She didn’t elaborate on where she’d heard this information, which is false.

Harris is both Black and Indian. Her father, Donald J. Harris, came to the U.S. from Jamaica. Her mother, the late Shyamala Gopalan, came to the U.S. from India. They both moved to the U.S. to study at the University of California, Berkeley, which is where they met in 1962.

The Guardian approached the topic again with Jackson, asking if she thinks America is ready for a president who is a woman of color.

“I don’t know,” Jackson said. “Honestly, I don’t want to answer that because I really truthfully don’t know. I think either way it goes is going to be mayhem.”

The singer’s quotes about Harris trended on social media, where many fans expressed disappointment in one of their idols repeating misinformation.

“You had the chance to stand with a Black woman loud and proud and you didn’t. This is hard for a lifelong fan,” says a top comment on Jackson’s most recent Instagram post, which was taken over with reactions to what Jackson said about Harris.

On X, formerly Twitter, a post read, “Janet Jackson is one of the most influential people in music history. It was simply irresponsible of her to repeat something she ‘heard’ regarding the very thing that they use against Kamala! Her own race. We are less than 50 days away from the election. We gotta talk smarter!”

Over the summer, Donald Trump brought up Harris’ racial identity at the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Chicago, where he claimed, “I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black and now she wants to be known as Black. So, I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?”

At the Sept. 10 presidential debate, Trump said, “All I can say is I read where she was not Black … And then I read that she was Black, and that’s OK. Either one was OK with me. That’s up to her.”

Harris later responded, “Honestly, I think it’s a tragedy that we have someone who wants to be president, who has consistently, over the course of his career, attempted to use race to divide the American people.”

Jackson, according to the reporter behind the The Guardian article, was not feeling well on the day of the interview. She had a cold.

The Taylor Swift effect has taken hold of politics. After announcing her endorsement of Kamala Harris for president after the Tuesday (Sept. 10) presidential debate, Swift then shared a link to Vote.gov in an Instagram story. A spokesperson for the U.S. General Services Commission, an independent U.S. government agency that supports various other federal agencies, […]

With the U.S. Presidential election now just 69 days away, the electronic music community is more forcefully entering the conversation with a new initiative from Rave The Vote and Headcount.
As part of a new initiative, a lineup’s worth of dance artists will help provide a free bundle of music to people who check their voter registration status via the non-partisan voter registration organization Head Count.

Participants will receive the downloadable bundle by checking their voter registration status via this link and opting in to text reminders about voting. Participants will receive the treasure trove of dance music in late September. 

The batch of tracks and mixes includes work by artists including Tokimonsta, Carl Craig, Seth Troxler, Ardalan, Walker & Royce, Rochelle Jordan, Mary Droppinz, Life On Planets, Baby Weight, DJ E-Clyps and Hercules & Love Affair.

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“Dance music in America is bigger than ever, it’s crucial that our community gets out and votes, and ensures its voice is heard,” Rave the Vote organizers say in a statement. “There is a lot at stake in this election, and we need dance music fans to show up and vote for values that are synonymous with our culture; peace, love, unity and respect.”

“Partnering with Rave the Vote is a fantastic opportunity to connect the vibrant energy of dance music with the power of voting,” adds Lucille Wenegieme, Executive Director of HeadCount. “We’re thrilled to join forces in this effort to engage fans and inspire them to make their voices heard at the polls. Music and democracy go hand in hand, and with the support of these incredible artists, we’re confident that we’ll see a strong turnout and a real impact in this year’s elections.”

Launched in 2020, Rave the Vote is a collaborative project headed by Infamous PR. Since 2004, HeadCount has registered over 1.2 million voters through work with artists including Harry Styles, Lizzo, Dead & Company, Billie Eilish and more.

Donald Trump‘s campaign is asserting its right to use Foo Fighters‘ “My Hero” at events despite the band’s public denunciation of the campaign’s prior use of the track. “We have a license to play the song,” Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung wrote in an email to The Hill. Additionally, he tweeted at the band, using puns of the […]

Beyoncé‘s record label has sent a cease-and-desist to Donald Trump‘s presidential campaign over its use of the megastar’s song “Freedom” in a social media video, according to Rolling Stone, which reports that the campaign did not have permission to use the track. In the offending clip, which was posted to Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung‘s […]

The Harris-Walz campaign’s love affair with pop music continued in full force on the second night (Aug. 20) of the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
After Patti LaBelle delivered the night’s first performance with a stirring rendition of “You Are My Friend” for the in memoriam segment, Common took the stage to rap a DNC-tinged version of “Fortunate,” a song from his new joint album with Pete Rock. Outside of those performances, the house band kept the covers rolling with funky versions of Beyoncé‘s “Cuff It,” Hozier‘s “Too Sweet,” and Mark Ronson‘s “Uptown Funk!” soundtracking the jumbotron camera’s journey around the packed arena.

The real magic, however, came during the roll call. During each convention, each U.S. state and territory casts their votes for the party’s presidential nominee; last night’s roll call was a symbolic, in-person version of an August online meeting, in which Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic party’s official nominee. DJ Cassidy served as the roll call’s master of ceremonies, using his beloved “Pass the Mic” template to rattle off each state and territory represented in the venue.

Trending on Billboard

For this year’s roll call, the delegates reached across decades of music to illustrate a rich sonic collage of American music history. From country and reggaeton to rock and hip-hop, the breadth of America’s rich blend of cultures and traditions illuminated the United Center arena. To top it all off, Lil Jon made a surprise appearance on the floor of the convention to help his home state of Georgia cast its votes for Harris. As if his mere presence wasn’t enough, he also treated the fired-up crown to a bombastic rendition of his DJ Snake-assisted “Turn Down For What,” which he flipped into a musical tribute to Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Georgia wasn’t the only state to make the most of their moment, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Harris’ home state of California all played multiple songs while they casted their votes.

From Aretha Franklin and Dolly Parton to Beyoncé and Chappell Roan, here are all the songs played during roll call at the 2024 DNC — and where they peaked on the Billboard Hot 100.

Alabama

Song: Lynyrd Skynrd, “Sweet Home Alabama”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 8 (chart dated October 26, 1974)

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Alaska

Song: Portugal. The Man, “Feel It Still”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 4 (chart dated Nov. 4, 2017)

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American Samoa

Song: Lady Gaga, “The Edge of Glory”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 3 (chart dated May 28, 2011)

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Arizona

Song: Stevie Nicks, “Edge of Seventeen”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 11 (chart dated April 17, 1982)

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Arkansas

Song: Fleetwood Mac, “Don’t Stop”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 3 (chart dated Sept. 24, 1977)

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California

Song: Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg, “The Next Episode”; 2Pac, Dr. Dre & Roger, “California Love”; Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar, “Alright”

Hot 100 Peak: “The Next Episode” peaked at No. 23 (chart dated July 29, 2000); “California Love” peaked at No. 1 (two weeks, chart dated July 13, 1996); “Not Like Us” peaked at No. 1 (two weeks, chart dated May 18, 2024); “Alright” peaked at No. 81 (chart dated October 3, 2015)

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Colorado

Song: Earth, Wind & Fire, “September”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 8 (chart dated Feb. 10, 1979)

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Connecticut

Song: Stevie Wonder, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 3 (chart dated Aug. 8, 1970)

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Democrats Abroad

Song: The O’Jays, “Love Train”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (chart dated March 24, 1973)

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District of Columbia

Song: DJ Kool, “Let Me Clear My Throat,”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 30 (chart dated March 29, 1997)

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Florida

Song: Tom Petty, “I Won’t Back Down”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 8 (chart dated July 1, 1989)

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Georgia

Song: DJ Snake & Lil Jon, “Turn Down for What”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 4 (chart dated June 14, 2014)

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Guam

Song: Sabrina Carpenter, “Espresso”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 3 (chart dated June 22, 2024)

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Hawaii

Song: Bruno Mars, “24K Magic”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 4 (chart dated Dec. 10, 2016)

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Idaho

Song: The B-52s, “Private Idaho”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 74 (chart dated Nov. 8, 1980)

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Illinois

Song: The Alan Parsons Project, “Sirius”

Hot 100 Peak: N/A

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Indiana

Song: Michael Jackson, “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (chart dated Oct. 13, 1979)

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Iowa

Song: Kool & The Gang, “Celebration”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (two weeks, chart dated Feb. 7, 1981)

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Kansas

Song: Kansas, “Carry On Wayward Son”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 11 (chart dated April 2, 1977)

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Kentucky

Song: Jack Harlow, “First Class”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (three weeks, chart dated April 23, 2022)

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Louisiana

Song: DJ Khaled feat. T-Pain, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg & Rick Ross, “All I Do Is Win”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 24 (chart dated July 24, 2010)

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Maine

Song: Walk The Moon, “Shut Up And Dance”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 4 (chart dated May 30, 2015)

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Maryland

Song: Aretha Franklin, “Respect”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (two weeks, chart dated June 3, 1967)

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Michigan

Song: Eminem, “Lose Yourself”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (12 weeks, chart dated Nov. 9, 2002)

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Minnesota

Song: Prince, “Kiss”; Prince, “1999”

Hot 100 Peak: “Kiss” peaked at No. 1 (two weeks, chart dated April 19, 1986); “1999” peaked at No. 12 (chart dated July 23, 1983)

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Mississippi

Song: Sam Cooke, “Twistin’ the Night Away”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 9 (chart dated March 24, 1962)

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Missouri

Song: Chappell Roan, “Good Luck, Babe!”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 8 (chart dated Aug. 17, 2024)

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Montana

Song: Lenny Kravitz, “American Woman”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 49 (chart dated Oct. 30, 1999)

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Nebraska

Song: Katy Perry, “Firework”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (four weeks, chart dated December 18, 2010)

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Nevada

Song: The Killers, “Mr. Brightside”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 10 (chart dated June 11, 2005)

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New Hampshire

Song: Journey, “Don’t Stop Believin’”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 9 (chart dated Dec. 19, 1981)

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New Jersey

Song: Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 9 (chart dated Jan. 19, 1985)

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New Mexico

Song: Demi Lovato, “Confident”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 21 (chart dated Dec. 19, 2015)

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New York

Song: Jay-Z & Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (five weeks, chart dated Nov. 28, 2009)

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North Carolina

Song: Petey Pablo, “Raise Up”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 25 (chart dated Nov. 24, 2001)

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North Dakota

Song: Alicia Keys, “Girl On Fire”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 11 (chart dated Dec. 15, 2012)

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Northern Mariana Islands

Song: Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 19 (chart dated July 15, 1967)

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Ohio

Song: John Legend feat. André 3000, “Green Light”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 24 (chart dated Dec. 6, 2008)

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Oklahoma

Song: Brooks Jefferson, “Ain’t Goin Down (Til the Sun Comes Up)”

Hot 100 Peak: N/A

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Oregon

Song: Modest Mouse, “Float On”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 68 (chart dated Sept. 4, 2004)

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Pennsylvania

Song: “Motownphilly” (Boyz II Men) & “Black and Yellow” (Wiz Khalifa)

Hot 100 Peak: “Motownphilly” peaked at No. 3 (chart dated Sept. 7, 1991); “Black and Yellow” peaked at No. 1 (chart dated Feb. 19, 2011)

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Puerto Rico

Song: Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee, “Despacito”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (16 weeks, chart dated May 27, 2017)

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Rhode Island

Song: Taylor Swift, “Shake It Off (Taylor’s Version)”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 28 (chart dated Nov. 11, 2023)

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South Carolina

Song: James Brown, “Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 15 (chart dated Aug. 8, 1970)

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South Dakota

Song: The Romantics, “What I Like About You”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 49 (chart dated March 15, 1980)

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Tennessee

Song: Dolly Parton, “9 to 5”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (two weeks, chart dated Feb. 21, 1981)

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Texas

Song: Beyoncé, “Texas, Hold ‘Em”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (two weeks, chart dated March 2, 2024)

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Utah

Song: Neon Trees, “Animal”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 13 (chart dated Nov. 13, 2010)

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Vermont

Song: Noah Kahan, “Stick Season”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 9 (chart dated April 27, 2024)

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U.S. Virgin Islands

Song: Mic Love, “VI to the Bone”

Hot 100 Peak: N/A

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Virginia

Song: Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson & D.O.E., “The Way I Are”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 3 (chart dated Aug. 25, 2007)

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Washington

Song: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton, “Can’t Hold Us”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (five weeks, chart dated May 18, 2013)

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West Virginia

Song: John Denver, “Take Me Home, Country Roads”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 2 (chart dated Aug. 28, 1971)

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Wisconsin

Song: House of Pain, “Jump Around”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 3 (chart dated Oct. 10, 1992)

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Wyoming

Song: Black Eyed Peas, “I Got A Feeling”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (14 weeks, chart dated July 11, 2009)

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After fully embracing Charli XCX’s Brat summer, Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign for president has taken Harris’ connection to the pop singer one step further by sponsoring Spotify’s official “This is Charli XCX” playlist. 
Listeners on Spotify’s free, ad-supposed tier will now see an ad running on the playlist stating that the content is presented by the Harris/Walz campaign — effectively promoting the campaign for Harris and her running mate, Minnesota governor Tim Walz. Spotify’s free users will see the ad on both mobile and desktop versions of the Spotify app.

The two-and-a-half hour, career-spanning playlist boasts some of Charli XCX’s best-known songs, including “Guess” featuring Billie Eilish, “Speed Drive” from the Barbie soundtrack and “Boom Clap” from 2014’s sucker.

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According to Spotify’s advertising policy, the streaming service sells political ads in the U.S., U.K. and India only and has done so for a number of years. 

The fine print states that ads are limited to those placed by candidates; political parties; political committees; any entity registered or reporting under any federal, state or local campaign finance law; or other entities sponsoring ads on behalf of any of the above-listed categories. The ads may feature a candidate for elected office; a current elected officeholder; or a ballot measure, proposition or initiative. It adds that the title sponsor (in this case, the Harris/Walz campaign) is not the only sponsor and other ads may be heard during a listening session. 

The Harris/Walz ad began running at midnight on Monday (Aug. 19) and is slated to end on Sunday night (Aug. 25). Spotify did not respond to a question asking whether Charli XCX had to sign off on the ad.

Other U.S. political campaigns that have run ads on Spotify this year include those of Sherrod Brown, Eric Hovde, Sandy Pensler, Rick Scott, Elissa Slotkin and Tim Sheehy.

Though Charli XCX has not commented on the ad buy, the singer has previously declared her support for Harris. On July 21, the day President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race and endorsed Harris, the pop star posted “kamala IS brat” on X (formerly Twitter). The KamalaHQ X page has also leaned in, with the home page displaying “kamala hq” in the Brat album’s signature lime green color. 

The 2024 Democratic National Convention kicked off Monday night at Chicago’s United Center with performances from artists including Jason Isbell, Mickey Guyton and James Taylor.

After Donald Trump posted AI-generated images to social media that falsely suggested Taylor Swift had endorsed him, can the superstar take legal action against the Republican presidential nominee? We asked the experts.
Posted on Sunday (Aug. 18) to Trump’s account on his own Truth Social platform, several of the photos showed women in t-shirts with the slogan “Swifties for Trump” emblazoned on the front. Some of those shots appeared to have been generated by AI, including several originally posted by a satire website.

But the most prominent image showed Swift herself, dressed up as Uncle Sam in the style of a World War II-era recruiting poster, bearing a clear message: “Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump.” At the top of the post, Trump himself responded to the apparent endorsement: “I accept!”

Trending on Billboard

The images quickly sparked outrage among fans of the superstar singer, who has long been an outspoken critic of the 45th president. Though she has not yet endorsed a candidate in 2024, Swift supported Joe Biden and running mate Kamala Harris in 2020 — and she blasted Trump for “stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism” and urged her legions of fans to vote him out of office.

As news of Trump’s post spread across the internet, many Swifties quickly wondered the same thing: Could Taylor take legal action against the former president?

According to Jessica Silbey, a professor at Boston University School of Law and an expert in intellectual property and constitutional law, Trump’s fake endorsement post likely violates Swift’s right of publicity — the legal power to control how your name, image and likeness are used by others.

“Everyone enjoys a right of publicity,” says Silbey, who has written extensively about the internet. “This kind of use — being made to say and seen as believing things you don’t — is at the core of the right.”

As the explosive growth of artificial intelligence tools has made it easier to convincingly mimic real people, lawmakers have scrambled to empower individuals like Swift to better protect their right of publicity. The federal NO FAKES Act, currently under debate in Congress, would make it illegal to publish a “digital replica” of someone’s likeness without their consent, including their voice or their image.

Trump’s post — featuring a photorealistic, AI-generated replica of Swift’s image without her consent — would almost certainly violate that new federal law. But even without the NO FAKES Act, states across the country already protect the right of publicity and would likely give Swift grounds to sue Trump or his campaign. Silbey says Swift might also explore suing him for defamation, claiming the false presidential endorsement harmed her reputation.

Whether the star should do so is a different question. Such litigation would be long and costly and Trump has potential defense strategies, including pinning the blame on the people who originally created the images, or arguing that his posts were free speech shielded by the First Amendment. And even if Taylor won, it’s hard to say whether it would be worth the effort to pull down one post.

“I’m skeptical the juice would be worth the squeeze,” says Woodrow Hartzog, another professor at Boston University School of Law.

Rather than responding with cease-and-desist letters or a lawsuit, Swift might decide that she’s better off fighting Trump’s fake endorsement with a legitimate endorsement of her own, broadcast across social media to her millions of die-hard fans. That’s the kind of remedy that no court can issue — and one that will likely hurt Trump far more than any judge could.

“I think Swift probably has more effective political rather than legal recourse here,” Hartzog said.

Just under a week after President Biden’s disastrous debate performance – and one day before Independence Day – a “fancam” compiling Vice President Kamala Harris’ most memeable moments to Charli XCX’s brash electropop banger “Von Dutch.” Created by X user @ryanlong03, the clip combines clips of Harris proclaiming her love for Venn diagrams, quoting her mother’s idioms and dancing and laughing while Charli’s neon-green Brat filter flashes across the screen. “It’s so obvious I’m your number one,” Charli bellows across Easyfun’s blaring synths.  

Unwittingly, the clip kicked off one of the most drastic shifts in public perception of a politician in recent memory. It also cemented a clear restructuring of the contemporary pop music hierarchy. 

While Harris may not have always been people’s “number one” choice for the top of the Democratic ticket, pop music-driven memes have helped her ascend to that position in the minds of left-leaning online communities as she prepares to officially become the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, IL (Aug. 19-22). Along the road to the convention, the Harris campaign has tapped Megan Thee Stallion and Bon Iver for rally performances, used Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar’s “Freedom” as their official campaign song, and adopted the aesthetic of Charli XCX’s Brat album – which prompted a hilarious explainer segment on CNN. Pop music has never been more ingrained in U.S. politics – and it’s giving real weight to the voices of America’s youngest and newest voters. 

Amid several ongoing global catastrophes, the climate crisis and the fight to codify a woman’s right to choose, the country has been understandably shrouded in a dark cloud of tension and anxiety going into November. Add an assassination attempt on former President Trump on a Sunday afternoon and President Biden shockingly ending his re-election bid on the one that followed, and you’re left with an electorate that exists in the context of reality’s best attempt at recreating Shonda Rhimes’ most ridiculous Scandal storylines.  

According to an October 2023 study from Tuft’s Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, Gen Z (ages 18-27 in 2024) boasts 41 million eligible voters, including 8.3 million newly eligible voters who have aged into the electorate since the 2022 midterm election. Those are election-shifting numbers, especially in a race as close as this year’s seems headed for. The youth vote is vital – it’s an area where Biden was significantly lagging – and those young voters have completely shifted the election landscape by processing their fears, anxiety and general amusement at the sheer absurdity of the times through this summer’s most culturally resonant pop releases.  

How’d they do it? In part because, if music is the universal language, memes – especially music-driven memes – are the Gen Z language.

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As much as Brat revels in cheeky self-aggrandizement and party-girl reflections, Charli’s latest LP also grapples with some intensely personal ponderings. While her ruminations on potential motherhood, her position in the music industry and her personal grief aren’t necessarily the things causing the American electorate anxiety, her songs provide younger listeners a way to work through their own emotional anguish as it relates to their futures. Chappell Roan’s breakout album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess has allowed for similar impact on its young fans. Roan’s debut album explores myriad moods, but the emotional turmoil of growing up as a lesbian in a small Midwestern town looms over the entire record – perhaps a much more real analog to the way Gen Z feels heading into November, as they chart paths for themselves in a country that feels increasingly detached from their concerns, from abortion rights to gun control. 

Not only are Brat and Midwest Princess driven by anxiety, but they’re also arguably pop culture’s two defining albums of the summer of 2024. With constantly recirculated lyrics like “Bumpin that” and “Should we do a little line/ Should we do a little key,” Brat finds Charli XCX at the peak of her cultural pull. The album cover’s funky shade of green has become the unofficial hue of the year, Pantone be damned. In the same week Brat became the highest-peaking album of Charli’s career, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard 200, Chappell’s record reached the chart’s top 10 for the first time, eight months after its October 2023 release. Assisted by a coveted opening slot on Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour and a stage show that effortlessly converted fans at every festival she appeared at, Chappell launched six Billboard Hot 100 hits off Midwest Princess – nearly half of the album! — from “My Kink Is Karma” (No. 91) to “Hot to Go!” (No. 17). In July, Roan also earned her first career top ten hit with the standalone single “Good Luck, Babe!” (which has since climbed to No. 6). 

To varying degrees, pop music has always reflected the general mood of the population. Through the cultural and commercial success of Brat and Midwest Princess, Gen Z has helped significant pockets of the left-leaning Internet channel their political anxiety into a somewhat ironic, but still largely genuine, embrace of a new candidate suddenly offering an escape from the absolutely miserable election cycle that the Biden-Trump rematch seemed to promise – and the Harris campaign has taken notice.  

In its first post since turning the official Biden campaign TikTok account into “@kamalahq,” the Harris campaign used Roan’s “Femininomenon” to highlight her as a fresh, new alternative to Trump. The day after Harris officially announced her election bid, the X account for campaign headquarters rebranded to fit the Brat aesthetic. In the words of Charli herself, “Kamala IS brat.” In an age where politicians are who we paint them to be, Gen Z has used this summer’s biggest albums to fashion Harris into a candidate that they can truly throw their support behind – whether it’s solely because of the draw of the memes or because anything seems preferable to the looming threat of a second Trump presidency.  

Instead of trying to create an image for Harris, her campaign has let Gen Z create an image for her, simultaneously reasserting itself as a key voting bloc and reshaping the relationship between pop music and politics. In this way, Charli and Chappell have helped cement a new standard for era-defining pop stardom. Neither of them has seen a single from their most recent albums reach the Hot 100’s top 10, and their songs aren’t exactly pulling multi-week reigns at No. 1 across different radio formats, either. Rather, they’ve captivated the zeitgeist through fresh idiosyncratic aesthetics and outward rejection of traditional pop fame. After all, part of Chappell’s appeal is her explicit disdain for her ever-rising notoriety, and Charli preceded Brat with an album that cheekily satirized what the ultra-commercialized version of herself would look and sound like. 

As the electorate continues to welcome large swaths of new, younger voters, a shuffling has begun to occur in the pop music hierarchy. While artists like Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar continue to enrapture younger listeners – both scored culture-shifting Hot 100 chart-toppers this year with “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “Not Like Us,” respectively – they also now appeal to a broader range of voters (age-wise) than they have in past presidential election cycles. Lamar, of course, made appearances on former President Barack Obama’s oft-memed summer and year-end playlists, and visited him in the Oval Office back in 2015 — but the years since the Obama administration have cast the rapper in a slightly different role. No longer an exclusively “hip” pick to attract young voters, Lamar, by virtue of his age and material, can reach scores of voters across age demographics.

The same goes for Queen Bey, who was riding high on the success of her Hot 100-topping “Single Ladies” when she performed at Obama’s first Inaugural Ball in 2009. In the years since, she’s performed the National Anthem at Obama’s second Inauguration (2013), played “Formation” at a rally for then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton (2016) and took to her Instagram page to back President Biden (2020). At this point in her career, Beyoncé isn’t directly competing with flashy, younger stars like Roan — she’s something of an elder stateswoman at the intersection of pop culture, music and electoral politics. She’s still admired by the country’s youngest eligible voters, but she also commands the respect of Millennials, Gen Xers, and even some Boomers.  

In this way, “Freedom,” her and Lamar’s 2016 Grammy-nominated anthem, was a natural pick for Harris’ official campaign song. The song has roots in the mid-2010s Black Lives Matter era, boasts a pair of artists whose blending of politics and music have been lauded (and critiqued for years) and gives the Harris campaign a way to temper the hyper-contemporary feel of their other musical choices. And, for what it’s worth, Bey and Kendrick – two respected Black music titans — are valuable and logical musical picks for a Black candidate whose campaign (at least at the very beginning) was largely defined by the white pop stars of the moment.

Then, there’s the Taylor Swift question. Under a special microscope this cycle because of her silence during past elections (she’s since expressed her regret for remaining mum in 2016 and endorsed the Democrats during the 2018 midterms), Ms. Americana has all eyes on her as November draws nearer. The historic success of her globe-conquering Eras Tour has packed out stadiums across the country.  But will she remind her fans to vote? Will she tell them who to vote for? It shouldn’t really matter what Swift’s voting stance is, but it does – especially as political fandom becomes more and more insidious.  

The Internet drives pop stardom and political fandom in the same way; choices are made on the basis of how invested a person is in a pop star’s or politician’s brand. In the same way that Swifties buy the umpteenth version of The Tortured Poets Department because they want to be as immersed in her brand as possible, Biden’s most steadfast supporters – who often cited their respect for his 50-year political career and him being an “honorable man” — refused to waver, despite polls showing that his appearance on the ticket could very well cost the Democrats the election. From pop stars to politicians, brand loyalty is the crux of how people engage with most things in America right now, and the 2024 election cycle is already solidifying that. Yes, there are millions of voters that are fully aware of the issues they are most passionate about – namely, gun control, abortion rights, the Gaza conflict and inflation – but the voices of voters who struggle with interacting with politicians solely as public servants who owe them (and not the other way around) are often just as loud, if not louder. The support the Harris-Walz ticket has been able to accrue is undoubtedly impressive, especially because, at press time, the ticket doesn’t even have a platform readily available on their official website. 

In the days leading up to Harris officially taking over the top of the ticket, memes overlaying her trademark cackle over pop songs with laughing intros/outros (think: Beyoncé’s “Drunk in Love” or Kesha’s “Blow”) took over TikTok and Twitter. On TikTok, an AI-generated Beyoncé song that turns Harris’ “coconut” anecdote into an original track plays in over 1,000 videos. Inspired by the “Win With Black Women” Zoom calls that have helped raise millions of dollars for the Harris campaign – and spawned similar calls amongst other identity groups – Swifties launched an @Swifties4Kamala X account that touts over 53,000 followers. Some Swifties have even (jokingly) inquired if they can use a VPN to vote in the election from outside of the U.S. Harris’ recently announced running mate – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz – has already been branded as the “Midwestern prince” (Chappell) to Harris’ “brat” (Charli). In the days since Walz joined the ticket, a camo cap with a design nodding to a similar product from Chappell’s online store appeared on the official Harris-Walz campaign website. Call it the Stan Twitterfication of U.S. politics, a reimagining of the cult of personality. 

Naturally, part of Stan Twitterfication is projecting entire identities onto people; hours after the announcement of Walz as Harris’ running mate, American activist David Hogg took to X to write, “Tim Walz 100000% stands at his doorstep when it’s raining and says ‘we needed this.’” The day prior, another X user wrote: “Walz strikes me as the type of VP candidate who runs on a platform of making sure everyone knows how to safely change their own spare tire, and I love him for that.” 

Whether or not these sentiments are rooted in the reality of Walz’s character is irrelevant. What’s interesting – maybe even damning – is that the kneejerk reaction is to romanticize Walz as a sympathetic and easily understood character rather than assessing his record as a public servant. It’s not that far removed from conversations around pop musicians centering their likability and relatability over their musical, vocal and instrumental prowess. But that’s the name of the game now – and the Harris campaign is smartly leaning into it. From the concept of a politician being “someone you can knock back a few beers with” to the proliferation of online political memes post-2016, this has long been the case in politics. In this election, the scale has increased and feels uniquely defined by and catered to Gen Z for the very first time. 

As the Harris-Walz ticket gears up for the home stretch of the 2024 election cycle, they’ll likely continue their pop music-informed strategy. It’s not a bad choice, but it’s one they should exercise with caution – especially because they’ve already selected songs that could have invited a bit more controversy than they have so far. Everyone wants a piece of Brat, but it’s objectively mind-boggling to watch the presidential campaign for a major American political party adopt the aesthetic of a British artist’s coke-positive album. Chappell Roan is the year’s breakout pop star, but using her music for the campaign’s TikTok was a bold choice considering Roan declined an invitation to perform at the White House’s Pride celebration this year, citing her disapproval of the administration’s stance on the conflict in Gaza and transgender rights.  

In that vein, “Freedom” is a pitch-perfect anthem on paper, but in the context of both Beyoncé’s and Lamar’s respective silence on global Black liberation, as it relates to Gaza, it rings a bit hollow. There’s also the matter of Lamar’s unavoidably massive “Not Like Us” — which Harris spoofed during a BET Awards commercial preceding her candidacy (June 30) — a Drake diss that has thrust conversations around regionality, race, ethnicity and cultural preservation into the spotlight, as Harris’ own race has become the subject of asinine questioning by her opponents. 

If they intend to continue down this path, the Harris-Walz team needs to have their finger on the cultural pulse, but they can’t make it too obvious that they do – that’s when the pandering becomes unbearable. However the Democratic ticket proceeds with this race, their moves for the next few months are sure to further solidify the fact that politics is the new pop music. Ultimately, they’ll likely have to maneuver this campaign like a pop album rollout to secure the “Femininomenon” that they’re promising.