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We learned a lot about Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz during his speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Wednesday night (August 21). The former high school football coach, Army National Guard veteran and social studies teacher fired up the packed crowd at the United Center with a rousing address about his midwestern values and loving family while accepting the party’s nomination for Vice President alongside current VP and presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
And, in keeping with his reputation as a “dad rock” guy who has raged against the machine for not yet inducting Warren Zevon into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and whose picks at his favorite Minneapolis record store Electric Fetus last year included vinyl classics by Genesis, the Moody Blues and Steve Winwood, he entered and exited the stage to some solid meat-and-potatoes rock.
In fact, a spokesperson for Neil Young confirmed to Billboard on Thursday (August 22) that the Gov. got a personal sign-off from the 78-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer to cap his emotional speech with Young’s blistering 1989 anthem “Rockin’ in the Free World.” The song from Young’s Freedom album took a sledgehammer to then-Republican President George H. W. Bush’s signature phrase “thousands points of light” with lyrics lamenting a lack of urgency about climate change and missing conservative compassion for homeless Americans amid what Young deemed empty promises to “keep hope alive.”
The official stamp of approval from Young is in contrast to his complaint that Walz and Harris’ White House rival, former one-term Republican President Donald Trump, had not sought approval to play the song during his first run for office in 2015, an action that led Young to consider suing Trump. In 2020, Young did sue Trump for copyright infringement for playing “Rockin’” and “Devil’s Sidewalk” at rallies, with Young saying that in “good conscience” he could not allow his music to be used by the divisive former reality TV star.
After Trump lost his second bid for office, Young dismissed the copyright case.
In a post on his Archives site earlier this week, Young noted that he was closely watching the DNC — not on network or cable TV but on C-Span, where he said there are “no smarmy talking heads… No slant” — in a missive that included a reprint of artist Shepard Fairey’s “FORWARD” poster for the Harris campaign.
Walz took the stage to John Mellencamp’s 1985 homage to his midwestern upbringing, “Small Town. At press time a spokesperson for the Indiana-bred rocker had not confirmed that Mellencamp had given his personal approval for the use of the song.
Young is on a long list of artists who have either sued, threatened to sue or complained about Trump using their music during his rallies. That roster recently added the estate of late soul icon Isaac Hayes and Beyoncé’s label, which issued a cease-and-desist order to convicted felon Trump’s campaign this week over his spokesperson’s unauthorized use of her anthem “Freedom” — the official Harris/Walz theme song , personally approved by Queen Bey — in a social media post; that post has since been taken down.
Trump has long used the music of popular artists over their public objections, drawing complaints about the twice-impeached former commander-in-chief’s unauthorized playing of songs at his rallies from artists including the Rolling Stones, Adele, Rihanna and the late Sinead O’Connor, among many others.
The Chicks are set to perform the national anthem at this year’s Democratic National Convention Thursday (Aug. 22), as originally reported by CNN and confirmed by Billboard. In support of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz’s 2024 White House bid, the country trio will take the stage at Chicago’s United Center on the final day of […]
DJ Snake will not, apparently, turn down for American political conventions. In a statement Wednesday (Aug. 21) on X, the French producer responded to the performance of his 2013 Lil Jon collab “Turn Down for What” being performed by the Atlanta rapper during night 2 of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. “I did not […]
With the Democratic National Convention fully underway, more star-studded performers have been added to the lineup at Chicago’s United Center to celebrate Vice President Kamala Harris‘ presidential nomination. On Wednesday night (Aug. 21), John Legend will take the stage to perform, according to CNN. The “All of Me” singer has been an outspoken supporter of Harris, […]
Barack Obama and Michelle Obama rallied the United Center crowd at the 2024 Democratic National Convention with a pair of fiery speeches on Tuesday night (Aug. 20), and drawing comparisons to Kendrick Lamar‘s Drake disses in the process.
The former president and first lady electrified democrats on night two of the DNC while attacking Republican nominee Donald Trump and encouraging citizens to get out and vote to make sure they’re heard on Nov. 5, which is 76 days away.
“We don’t need four more years of bluster and chaos,” Barack said. “We’ve seen that movie — and we all know that the sequel’s usually worse. America is ready for a new chapter. America’s ready for a better story. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris.”
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Rap fans immediately began connecting the Obamas’ speeches toLamar’sdisses against Drizzy. “They should’ve put the ‘meet the grahams’ beat behind this michelle speech,” former Desus & Mero host Desus Nice tweeted.
Others were a step ahead and edited the harrowing instrumental behind the speeches, which some dubbed the remix as “Meet the Trumps.”
“His limited, narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hard-working, highly educated, successful people who happened to be Black,” Michelle Obama said of Trump before her mic drop as the music plays in the remixed video. “I wanna know who’s gonna tell him that the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those Black jobs?”
Apple Music host Lowkey continued to quote lyrics from K. Dot’s “Euphoria” alongside clips of Obamas’ speeches. “There’s three goats left and i see two of them kissing and hugging on stage,” he tweeted.
Another viewer chimed in: “Trump’s Truth Social meltdown on the Obama’s is like Drake tryin to respond after Kendrick left him for dead. Done and dusted.”
Music has also been at the center of the DNC in Chicago this week, with Patti LaBelle, Common and DJ Cassidy hitting the stage on night two. Lil Jon even made a surprise appearance to fire up the thousands in attendance, which included Spike Lee and Eva Longoria.
During the California roll call, West Coast hip-hop dominated the segment. Lamar’s “Not Like Us” provided the soundtrack for a set that included K. Dot’s “Alright,” Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre’s “The Next Episode” and 2Pac’s “California Love.”
Find more reactions to the Obamas’ speeches below.
dnc bringing out 2pac tomorrow— Desus MF Nice💯 (@desusnice) August 21, 2024
That Obama family is cookin tonight cyat dang !!!— Peter Rosenberg (@Rosenbergradio) August 21, 2024
President Barack Obama’s speech at the DNC if it were backed by Kendrick Lamar’s “Meet The Grahams” instrumental (produced by The Alchemist). pic.twitter.com/gGf7tGqKgU— Andrés Tardio (@AndresWrites) August 21, 2024
There are two people in the world that you don’t wanna have beef with: Kendrick Lamar and Michelle Obama. You will not win. Worzers!!!— Kafui Dzirasa, MD PhD (@KafuiDzirasa) August 21, 2024
Feel like the Obama’s listened to Kendrick all night and then showed up to the DNC— Trump Is Weird (@UnSpoken_Victim) August 21, 2024
The Obama’s danced on trump’s corps like Kendrick Lamar and Whitney danced on Drake’s— 🇨🇩Sports Guy🇨🇩 (@PlamsAbt) August 21, 2024
I need to see Michell Obama’s Summer playlist because I know every single track that Kendrick dropped recently is on there 😂— Chloe (@CosmicallyChloe) August 21, 2024
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump appears to have briefly ditched his insult comic schtick and flipped to cheekily borrowing pages from Vice President Kamala Harris’ playbook. In the midst of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago that on Tuesday night (August 20) officially nominated Harris in a joy- and music-filled night that featured each state announcing their support with a theme song provided by DJ Cassidy, Trump’s campaign spokesperson pre-empted the celebration with a brazen lift.
A 13-second video of Trump’s arrival in Detroit for a rally on Tuesday posted by mouthpiece Steven Cheung hours before night two of the DNC featured the former reality TV star walking down the steps of his plane onto the tarmac soundtracked by Beyoncé‘s “Freedom.” If you’ve been paying attention over the past month, then surely you know that the soaring song from Bey’s Lemonade album is the official Harris campaign theme song.
Harris walked out to the track at her official campaign kick-off on July 22 and Queen Bey gave the former Senator and California Attorney General her blessing to use the song at her rallies. An a cappella version of the tune helped kick-off the DNC on Monday night, further cementing its spot as the official anthem of the Harris campaign.
At press time spokespeople for the Trump campaign and Beyoncé had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment.
The brazen move from Trump’s team comes less than two weeks after Trump complained that Harris was copying his idea to not tax tips, telling a crowd “she just stole it.” The idea theft accusation is rich considering Trump has landed in hot water repeatedly since he pivoted from real estate and reality TV to politics eight years ago.
Since then, dozens of musicians and songwriters have objected to the twice-impeached former President using their songs at political rallies, including the Rolling Stones, Adele, Rihanna and the Sinead O’Connor estate, among many others. While a number have publicly objected and some have sent cease-and-desist orders after saying they want no connection to the Trump campaign, in July the estate of Isaac Hayes said it was taking legal action against Trump for playing the Hayes co-written “Hold On, I’m Coming” to close his rallies.
As reported by Billboard, when it comes to objections from artists and songwriters, the process of protest is pretty straightforward. The performing rights organizations BMI and ASCAP require political campaigns to obtain licenses to use songs in their catalogs, with a caveat in the license that allows songwriters to object to usage in a political campaign. However, that does not prevent a campaign from playing a song at a rally, or in this case, in a promotional video.
That said, a lawyer for Jackson Browne — who sued late Republican Sen. and presidential aspirant John McCain for using his song “Running on Empty” in a 2008 commercial — said “most political campaigns aren’t keen about just taking the song down.” Trump has been especially brazen in this regard and it was unclear at press time if the clip featuring “Freedom” could fall under the fair use provision, which doesn’t require a license at all.
Either way, hijacking a rival campaign’s official song seems decidedly on-brand for the Trump campaign’s “ask for forgiveness, not permission” approach to political combat and it remains to be seen if Beyoncé, or her team, will take action to get the video removed from X. At press time it did not appear that Beyoncé had responded to the Trump video on her socials.
Check out the Trump campaign video below.
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.
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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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Lil Jon transported the 2024 Democratic National Convention to Atlanta when he made a surprise appearance to share the Georgia delegates’ votes for Vice President Kamala Harris during the DNC roll call on Tuesday night (Aug. 20). The roll call took on a new format this year, with DJ Cassidy introducing each state with its […]
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