Music and politics have surprisingly gone hand in hand for quite some time now. From war songs to campaign jingles, there has been a song for almost every political cause and occasion. The 2024 presidential election is no different.
From everything from Charli XCX’s “Brat” to Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA,” here’s the soundtrack to the 2024 election.
Foo Fighters — “My Hero”
Originally released in 1997 as a tribute to the late Kurt Cobain, “My Hero,” along with other rock songs, have been at the forefront of Former President Donald Trump’s 2020 and 2024 campaign music.
Recently, it has come to the attention of the band that their hit song has been used in Trump’s campaign — Foo Fighters claims it was without proper permission. Trump’s campaign has disputed this, claiming they went through the proper channels. The band said that they will donate all the royalties for the Trump campaign’s use of “My Hero” to the Harris campaign.
Despite all of the drama surrounding the legality of its use, “My Hero” has invariably cemented itself as an anthem for the 2024 Trump campaign. It was originally used to welcome Robert F. Kennedy Jr. onto the stage in Phoenix, Ariz. after he formally endorsed the former president’s campaign.
Charli XCX — “Brat”
“Brat Summer” has been a remarkable cultural trend that has shook the culture. Even with all of the support surrounding Charli XCX’s sixth full length record, the TikTok dances, the 2000s-era grunge fashion revival and her massive “Sweat” tour, Charli ended up throwing herself into the political firestorm with a simple tweet: “kamala IS brat.”
This, along with many other pop-superstar endorsements such as Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, could impact the youth vote in particular. Hell, Charli XCX is not even an American citizen but could heavily drive information about the democratic nominee — leading to voters accessing resources, getting involved, etc.
Harris has embraced Charli’s endorsement, branding a lot of merchandise and campaign materials after “Brat.”
Beyoncé — “Freedom”
Originally released in 2016 off Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” album, “Freedom” (feat. Kendrick Lamar) is a song that the Harris campaign frequently uses to welcome Harris onto the stage. “Freedom” is a pop rap/gospel song that triumphantly lifts up its listeners.
“Freedom, freedom, I can’t move/Freedom, cut me loose, yeah/Freedom, freedom, where are you?/’Cause I need freedom, too,” Beyoncé sings on the track.
Beyoncé has recently endorsed Harris and appeared at her rally in Houston, both performing and giving a rousing speech.
Bruce Springsteen — “Born in the U.S.A.”
Lyrics in songs are sometimes drastically misinterpreted, even though they may seem straightforward at first. This is no different with political songs. Bruce Springsteen’s 1984 song, “Born in the U.S.A.” seems like a patriotic song at first, perfect for a campaign centering around national identity — like Trump’s campaign is.
However, let’s see what the lyrics say:
“Come back home to the refinery/Hirin’ man says, ‘Son, if it was up to me’/Went down to see my V.A. man/He said, ‘Son, don’t you understand,’ now.”
Springsteen is directly critical of the government and society’s treatment of veterans at large; in previous verses Springsteen also is critical of the draft process and the prospect of killing people in an unpopular foreign war — a.k.a. Vietnam.
Trump’s campaign frequently uses this song as a patriotic, uplifting anthem, but in reality, it is a song critical of the country’s imperialist practices.
