Partisan politics aside, you deserve some good music as you make your way to the ballot box. Whether you prefer country, R&B, pop or rap there’s something appealing to everyone. Music can set the tone, and these picks will be sure to get you through what could be an anxiety-inducing Election Day. Here is what our editors have been listening to.
"Freedom" by Beyonce
Beyonce’s “Freedom” has been the walk up song for Vice President Kamala Harris throughout her presidential campaign. It’s a high energy anthem from Beyonce’s transformative “Lemonade” album that calls out for freedom, something that’s been a recurring theme in this election. Beyonce recently appeared alongside fellow Destiny’s Child star Kelly Rowland at a Harris/Walz campaign rally in her hometown of Houston, where the pair declared their endorsements of Vice President Harris. Beyonce said “I’m not here as a celebrity, I’m not here as a politician. I’m here as a mother." While this election has been characterized as a fight for freedom, Beyonce’s lyrics “I break chains all by myself/ Won’t let my freedom rot in hell” perfectly capture the fervor that voters are bringing with them to the polls this year.
"Not Ready to Make Nice" by The Chicks
The Chicks have always been politically vocal, with outspokenly feminist lead singer Natalie Mains, and their music has reflected those views. However, The Chicks have been under fire in the past for their political stance. In a concert in 2003, Maines made a remark about former President Bush’s handling of the Iraq War. Maines said, “ We’re ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas.” Many fans of The Chicks turned their backs on the group, and three years later The Chicks released “Not Ready to Make Nice” in response to the backlash that they received for their comments. Their outspokenness did not end there, as they released the “Gaslighter” album in 2020, which was laced with political commentary. In 2003, former Vice President Al Gore spoke to a college audience, supporting The Chicks and claiming that “They were made to feel un-American … Our democracy has taken a hit.”
"This is America" by Childish Gambino
Childish Gambino’s “This is America” turned heads in 2018, when it was first released along with a controversial music video . The song is a commentary on gun violence in America, with the lyrics, “Police be trippin’ now/ Yeah, this is America/ Guns in my area.” For most college students, our educational experience has been riddled with fear of gun violence in our classrooms. Most of us started school in a post-Columbine world, and can vividly recall living through Sandy Hook, Parkland and countless other tragedies. The song gained critical acclaim from publications like The Atlantic and The Rolling Stones , who said the song “ is a surreal, visceral statement about gun violence in America.”
"American" by RuPaul
RuPaul is colloquially known as the “Queen of Drag,” and drag has been disturbingly under attack in both communities and in legislatures across the United States. It’s part of what has been a larger assault on LGBTQ+ and trans rights over the past decade. For many people, their first exposure to drag was through watching RuPaul’s Drag Race; it allows people to see queer identities, stories and joy portrayed in a mainstream way that they may have never seen before. RuPaul himself says that doing drag is very political because it challenges the status quo. “American” is an upbeat and joyful song about proudly being an American. As the song says, “You got the right/ Stand up for yourself, we’ve just begun to fight/ Ain’t no way we’re going back in time.”
"Run the World" by Beyonce
“Run the World” has been a feminist anthem since its release in 2018, empowering women with its lyrics. Beyonce sings, “How we’re smart enough to make these millions/ Strong enough to bear these children/ Then get back to business.” This song seems even more pertinent in today’s political climate, with intense discussions of reproductive rights and the need to break the glass ceiling. Beyonce’s music has underwritten Harris’s presidential campaign and energized voters. As we near the end of the campaign trail, we’d like to thank Beyonce!
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