People love music because it allows them to get in touch with their emotions. If music wasn’t emotionally impactful, the world would not only be silent, but also subdued. Lyrics and live performances serve as avenues that enunciate emotional impact — and this strategy has been employed by artists in the entertainment industry to fuel political activism across social media.
Not only were you expected to recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning in elementary school, but you were also encouraged to sing along to patriotic songs like “This Land is Your Land” with the rest of your classmates — repeating and memorizing each lyric and corresponding gesture until it became muscle memory. Everyone and everything is so much more impressionable as a child. Instilling political beliefs is significantly easier when you’re a kid because all you do is listen and learn, or simply do as you’re told. Studies show that children are highly susceptible to idealizing authority at early ages, typically causing them to form positive impressions before they have the cognitive ability to deflect and create their own opinions. What kids learn early on becomes perceived as fact, translating into their lifelong behaviors and beliefs. Considering the rise of digital media today, children are exposed to much more music, art, and ultimately, more general political discourse, exacerbating these effects on their minds.
On Aug. 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech to a crowd of more than 250,000 people — advocating that kids would eventually sing a “new meaning” to the lyrics of “My Country ‘Tis.” A meaning that would emphasize the inclusivity of “sweet freedom’s song” and liberty “from every mountainside” that America promises to offer each and every individual. These songs were all written from a place of nationalistic pride, though they have historically been used by marginalized communities and individuals attempting to stir political change. Other songs purposely written for rebuttal, such as Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come,” which is formally recognized as the unofficial anthem of the Civil Rights Movement, and even Bob Dylan’s counterculture anthem “Blowin’ in the Wind,” have all been used in political instances ranging from solidarity to general activism. It’s a trend throughout history.
Patriotic songs have been trending on social media platforms like Instagram — reemerging themes of inclusivity and the promotion of America as the “land of the free” — but in an ironic way. Songs like “America the Beautiful” and “God Bless America” have been used in the background of videos showcasing the inhumane atrocities of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, invoking ironic lyricism to juxtapose actions directed by the Trump administration.
In unironic ways, other patriotic songs like “This Land is Your Land,” which was originally written to rebut the message in “God Bless America” during the Great Depression, a time of severe inequity, have also been utilized to advocate against the current administration’s actions regarding ICE deportations and the increasing ethnic and racial divide seen today. All of these songs share a common theme of promoting nationalistic ideals, including freedom and unity, that make up America’s composition as a diverse nation, but they also provide solace during times of crisis. Whether used to raise political awareness ironically or unironically, these songs unavoidably restore historical accuracy in a time when the authentic state of the world is hard to grasp.
Over time, elementary schools have stopped playing these patriotic songs and teaching them in class because “more and more Americans are finding it kind of hard to sing along.” The culture of politics in the United States has changed. Years of increasing polarization, rising costs of living, unnecessary international conflicts — all of it is tiresome.
For me, back in high school, half of the class voluntarily pledged their allegiance to the United States. They would play the pledge on the loudspeaker every Monday, once a week, differing from the required recitation that would occur every morning in middle and elementary school. In high school, there may be an expectation to recite it, since it’s become a habit, but students treat it as voluntary. Lyrical association is embedded into the minds of students so early on that mimicry doesn’t seem just tiresome, but it’s repeated so much that it becomes numbing. It’s a process referred to as “semantic satiation,” where, after constant repetition, listening to music and repeating lyrics becomes dissociative. So many of us feel deep hatred for the U.S. government’s policies and the idea of patriotism, but we still know the national anthem’s lyrics verbatim — and sing it with pride before sports events because it’s lost all lyrical value.
Though today, “This Land is Your Land” holds a modern interpretation regarding immigration and marginalized communities, Woody Guthrie’s intention was to address the systemic divide between the rich and poor during the Great Depression, highlighting that America belonged to all its people, not just the elite. Despite making an inclusive statement in his first verse, Guthrie also explicitly sings about inequality, referring to both financial and social inequity throughout the verse:
In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people,
By the relief office I saw my people
Applying the lyrics “my people” to define the majority of American citizens who reside below the elite, who are referenced as financial institutions or assistance providers, emphasizes the social divide in America. This song was politically applicable to the time period — and still serves as one relevant today, in a different interpretation.
Reinterpretation isn’t just confined to historical songs — modern performances have contributed to reshaping the bond between music and resistance today. On Feb. 8, Bad Bunny’s performance at the Super Bowl Halftime Show this year “brought in 4.157 billion views globally within 24 hours,” surpassing the mere 133.5 million interactions Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 performance gained. Following a similar reaction to Lamar’s performance, which resulted in mass commentary on the depth of his set’s political symbolism, public commenters have noted Bad Bunny’s performance to be an “act of resistance,” advocated through choreography and visual references of Puerto Rico’s culture — including the piragua carts and the samba rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Die With a Smile.” Both Bad Bunny and Lamar have become dominators of political advocacy in the entertainment industry because of each performance’s political undertones — successfully bringing public attention to political discourse heightened due to the Trump administration — so much so that it’s influenced how individuals perceive their relationship to music and resistance.
Music has always served as a unifying force, and the fact that individuals feel dissonance with the lyrics and detachment from their themes is an indicator of the dire need for change in itself. Bad Bunny’s recent performance and the political symbolism in his performance are a more subtle way of suggesting music’s influence in politics, but the fact that cultural undertones were prominent in the first place is a stark mark of our country’s necessity to speak up.
Unlike Lamar’s performance, which challenged the idea of what America is through his lyrical choice and visual show, Bad Bunny’s choice to highlight his Puerto Rican identity throughout his set conveyed his critiques on systemic representation and more specifically, who is represented in America. His show opens with visuals portraying Puerto Rico’s geography — its islands, Latin neighborhoods, tall grass, and local culture — and kicks off with “Tití Me Preguntó” and ends with “Monaco” before transitioning into his surprise guest, Lady Gaga’s salsa-style “Die With a Smile.” The only English song in his set is Lady Gaga’s feature — and even then, it’s infused with Latin-cultural undertones. The assertion of his Latino identity through his music and set reveals the collective resistance to assimilation. He doesn’t choose to translate his music; he keeps his performance authentic and emphasizes Latin culture’s existence in America, especially through his closing feature. While holding a football labeled with the phrase “Together We Are America,” Bad Bunny shouted out 26 nations spanning Latin America, insinuating who makes up America aside from its White, dominant culture.
Through a more subtle form of activism, Bad Bunny’s performance contrasts with Lamar’s, which was more obvious through his lyrical manipulation. Lamar’s opening lines: “The revolution is about to be televised, you picked the right time but the wrong guy,” deliberately insinuated references to political discourse post-election, stirring public insight on current issues at hand. Music, whether through live, visual performances or recordings, is the loudest and most vocalized version of activism that exists in institutions today.
Featured Image Source: NPR