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With less than three months left until the 47th President of the United States of America is announced, former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaigns are in full swing.
It's a common occurrence for candidates to use popular records as part of their campaigns to rally the crowd and spread their message. An instance of this would be Donald Trump's recent appearance on a Kick live stream with Adin Ross, where he walked out to 50 Cent's 2003 single Many Men.
The choice of this song was a reference to candidate Trump's recent assassination attempt during his campaign in Butler, Pennsylvania. This was seemingly because the song thematically recounts 50 Cent surviving being shot nine times outside his grandmother's house.
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5 musicians who issued public statements against Donald Trump using their music
50 Cent didn't appear to have an issue with the business mogul's use of Many Men on stream. However, several musicians and artists publicly took a stance against Donald Trump by denying him the right to use their songs during his presidential campaigns.
Recently, late Irish singer-songwriter Sinead O’Connor's estate issued a statement desisting Trump and his Republican associates from playing her music at their campaigns. This statement was delivered to Variety magazine after Nothing Compares 2 U was used at the MAGA rallies in Maryland and North Carolina.
"It is no exaggeration to say that Sinéad would have been disgusted, hurt, and insulted to have her work misrepresented in this way by someone who she herself referred to as a biblical devil," O’Connor's estate said.
This feature will catalog five popular artists and musicians who have taken a stance against Donald Trump and refused Republican party associates the right to play their music during their presidential campaigns.
1) Céline Dion
During Trump's 2024 election campaign in Bozeman, Montana, the former President played a clip of Céline Dion performing My Heart Will Go On.
The video was reportedly also showcased at several other rallies, which led to the Canadian singer's management team issuing a public statement on Céline's X account. They condoned Trump's "unauthorized use" of the Titanic soundtrack.
"In no way is this use authorized, and Céline Dion does not endorse this or any similar use. And really, THAT song?" - Céline Dion's management team stated on August 10, 2024.
2) Johnny Marr
Musician and songwriter Johnny Marr, the lead guitarist on The Smiths, has been extremely vocal about Trump's use of the band's music during his presidential campaign.
Early this year, Marr took to X to "shut down" the use of The Smith's 1984 record Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want during a rally in South Dakota in September last year.
"Ahh … right … OK. I never in a million years would’ve thought this could come to pass. Consider this sh*t shut right down right now." - Johnny Marr stated on January 24, 2024.
3) The Rolling Stones
During the 2020 elections, Trump seemingly played The Rolling Stones's 1969 record You Can't Always Get What You Want during his campaigns. The band's representatives issued a public statement that spoke out against Donald Trump's use of the song at his rallies.
They stated that their legal team and performing rights organization, BMI, were working on ensuring Trump accepts and follows the "cease and desist" orders. These orders prohibit the politician from using the band's records during any of his campaigns.
"The BMI have notified the Trump campaign on behalf of the Stones that the unauthorized use of their songs will constitute a breach of its licensing agreement. If Donald Trump disregards the exclusion and persists then he would face a lawsuit for breaking the embargo and playing music that has not been licensed." - The Rolling Stones' representation stated in 2020.
4) Phil Collins
English singer-songwriter Phil Collins issued a "cease and desist" letter against Trump and the MAGA team for their use of his debut single In the Air Tonight during the 2020 presidential elections.
The singer reportedly "slammed" Donald Trump for seemingly making a satirical reference to the spread of COVID-19 infections. This came after the track was played in Iowa, which at the time was seeing a massive spike in cases.
The letter explained that the candidate's improper use of the track "[has] and will" cause damage to Phil's reputation.
"Mr. Collins does not condone the apparent trivialization of Covid-19. Moreover, Mr. Collins has serious concerns that the manner in which the Trump campaign has used 'In The Air Tonight' has caused, and will cause, damage to Mr. Collins' reputation and popularity with the public." - Phil Collins' legal team stated in their 2020 letter to Donald Trump.
5) Rihanna
In 2018, during a presidential rally in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Donald Trump's campaign played Rihanna's 2007 smash hit Don't Stop The Music. This led to him receiving a letter from the singer's legal team.
Rihanna's representation desisted the Republican administration from any further use of RiRi's discography during campaigns and rallies, when they stated:
"It has come to our attention that President Trump has utilized Rihanna‘s musical compositions and master recordings, including her hit track ‘Don’t Stop the Music,’ in connection with a number of political events held across the United States. Ms. Fenty has not provided her consent to Mr. Trump to use her music. Such use is therefore improper."
A report from the Independent appears to confirm, after considering an average of national polls, that 46.7% of Americans intend to vote for Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz. These results suggest that the Vice President has a 2.9-point lead over Donald Trump.
