Female superstars vs right wing politics
The world seems to be going in a scary direction with right wing political views becoming more and more favourable in the eyes of the general public. Fortunately, female musicians seem to have become the voice of the voiceless during these troubling times.
Trump’s recent White House entrance and his incredibly controversial start to his second presidency are an indication of the kind of stance many people are taking across the world.
The behaviour of leading figures within the right-wing political sphere is historically misogynistic, may I remind you of Trump’s, ‘Grab em by the pussy’ comment as well as the overturning of Roe v Wade, which has put millions of women in fear. Three of the United States cabinet ministers including the President himself have had multiple sexual allegations against them (the other two are Robert F Kennedy Jr and Peter Hegseth).
Anybody who is not a white straight man is most likely concerned about the current state of the world. There is an atmosphere of distrust and hate on a global level. But just because hate in the world is rising, does not mean that the rest of us go quiet.
Women in the music industry are not afraid to stand up against the suppression. The pleas made multiple times throughout speeches by women at the Grammy’s demonstrates the voice of those that currently feel threatened. The range of topics touched also shows the variety of people that fear the way the world is turning at the moment.
Lady Gaga’s speech referenced the trans and LGBTQ+ community and stated “trans people are not invisible. Trans people deserve love. The queer community deserves to be lifted up”. Chappell Roan also stated how important the trans community were to her and to her music while speaking on the red carpet.
These public displays of support came less than two weeks after Trump made a mighty statement against the trans community by making one of his very first actions as president, signing an executive order which only recognises two sexes. This followed a relentless attack on the community throughout Trump’s campaign with one investigation finding that $21 million was spent on anti-trans advertisement by his team and other right-wing political groups.
Just a matter days after Lady Gaga’s speech, Trump made a further attack by banning trans women from competing in women’s sport. The trans community is just one of the minority groups that the Trump administration appears to have a vendetta against.
Some of the most famous women on the planet are speaking out against these actions which threaten the livelihood of millions of people.
Shakira dedicated her award to immigrants; this comes as Trump has made multiple moves to deport a huge number of immigrants, already in his second presidency. Alicia Keys made a direct protest to actions made by Trump when she said during her speech, “DEI is not a threat, it is a gift”. This came as Trump issued executive orders to put a stop to diversity, equity and inclusion programs. These orders were also made on the first day of Trump’s presidency and yet again is a signal of the general attitude of his administration towards minorities.
It is terrifying for a huge range of groups inside and outside of America to see the most powerful government and most powerful man in the world continuously take action to suppress and diminish the identity of certain people.
Unfortunately, it is not just the political leadership element that is concerning. It is the context, the fact that 76.9 million Americans have witnessed the behaviour of this man and his campaign of hate and decided he is the man they want to lead the country. This means that these minorities are constantly surrounded by people that support the decisions being made by Trump.
It is essential that there are voices standing up against the hate. Female artists seem to be the ones that are carrying the torch.
A level of importance is added when you observe the fact that a huge amount of male celebrities across multiple industries helped Trump over the finish line. Public figures that millions look up to are supporting the president. These famous men include Joe Rogan, Jake and Logan Paul, Jeff Bezos, Sylvester Stallone, Lil Pump and Mark Zuckerberg. There are many more, but the variety of male celebrities demonstrates the variety of audiences that is being potentially influenced in supporting Trump’s agenda.
These female artists are aware of how fearful both the general public and their fan bases are currently.
The meteoric rise of Trump and the extreme stance right wing politicians are now taking needs to be regulated and going quiet will not help this.
Many female artists publicly reacted to the news that Trump had won the 2024 US election with shock and concern.
Ariana Grande: “Holding the hand of every person who is feeling the immeasurable heaviness of this outcome today.”
Billie Eilish: “Someone who hates women so, so deeply is about to be president of the United States of America.”
Sabrina Carpenter (when perforing): "Sorry about our country. To the women in here: I love you so, so, so, so much.”
More needs to be done but the speeches at the Grammy’s as well as the general brand that female artists are creating works as a positive demonstration of strength in the face of polarity.
The image of a lot of these artists who have found fame in 2024 is based in honesty, authenticity and a ‘fuck you’ to the patriarchy. The Girlypop era is among us which has put artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX, Billie Eilish and Chappell Roan on top of the world.
They are not afraid to express their opinions and represent what they believe in, which is so essential right now. Their music and their performances are about being themselves so when a president is threatening that, standing up against it is inevitable.
The world needs icon’s that are going to fight against the hate that we all can feel. We are fortunate that many women have taken it upon themselves to do this. As the future unravels all we can hope is that more public figures take action and take a stance against the worrying way the world is going.