What Trump and Harris’ campaign music says about them

Arms shaking like a bouncy car wash man, Donald Trump danced on stage to the song “YMCA” at a rally in Georgia in the last days of US presidential campaign.

It was dad dancing to make your dad cringe and a moment that became the hallmark of his rallies.

Every time the former president exits the stage, he belts out the Village People’s 1978 hit, one of the most famous gay anthems of all time.

Yet “YMCA” sums up a lot about Trump, the Republican presidential nominee: campy, a hangover from the past, and full of contradictions.

It also shows the difference between him and his Democratic opponent, the vice president Kamala Harriswhose playlist is much more contemporary.

Through his campaign songs, Trump, 78, somehow allowed Harris, who at 60 doesn’t exactly Generation Zto seem much more in touch with younger voters.

Her unofficial campaign anthem became Beyoncé’s “Freedom,” while Taylor Swift’s “That Man” and “Shake It Off” were on heavy rotation to warm up her crowds.

There were also soul and disco classics like Diana Ross’ “I’m Coming Out” and queer singers like Tracy Chapman, whose song “Fast Car” was played a lot.

Contrast that with Trump, who always breaks out on stage to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA,” which typifies his choice of music, said Mark Clague, a professor of musicology at the University of Michigan.

“Trump’s songs gravitate toward older white artists, rock ‘n’ roll, things that signal this attraction to the grandeur and exceptionalism of the past,” Professor Clague said.

“They don’t have a strong lyrical message in terms of connecting to politics or any idea. They convey the Trump brand, that he is a celebrity, his popularity is his main attribute.”

Trump’s playlist

• “YMCA”, Village People
• “God Bless the USA”, Lee Greenwood
• “Nessun Dorma”, by Puccini Turandot
• “Ave Maria” sung by Luciano Pavarotti
• “It’s a man’s man’s world,” James Brown
• “Hallelujah,” Rufus Wainwright
• “Nothing compares to 2 U”, Sinead O’Connor
• “Rich People North of Richmond” by Oliver Anthony
• “November Rain”, Guns N’ Roses
• “Rocket Man”, Elton John

“YMCA” reveals how “thin” Trump’s connection to the music is, as the song “doesn’t make sense at a Trump rally,” Professor Clague added.

If anything, its main purpose might be to wake up the crowd that would sit at a Trump rally for five hours until he finishes speaking.

Another challenge Trump has faced is a deluge of requests from singers who don’t want his music used.

Rufus Wainwright complained that Trump used his cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” but Trump continues to use it.

The Rolling Stones had to threaten Trump with legal action to stop him from using their song “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”

Others who objected to Trump using their music read like a who’s who of the music industry: ABBA, Adele, Foo Fighters, Queen guitarist Brian May and Tom Petty.

In 2020, Village People singer Victor Willis asked Trump to stop using “YMCA” and “Macho Man” at his rallies — requests that were largely ignored.

Harris’ soundtrack

• “Mr Brightside”, The Killers
• “Freedom”, Beyoncé
• “The Man,” Taylor Swift
• “Shake It Off”, Taylor Swift
• “Happy”, Pharrell Williams
• “I’m Going Out,” Diana Ross
• “Think,” Aretha Franklin
• “Arm”, Charli XCX
• “Fast Car”, Tracy Chapman
• “God is a woman,” Ariana Grande

Harris faces no such problems because most of the artists whose music she plays have either explicitly endorsed her or prefer her to Trump, Professor Clague said.

“Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are huge stars and both are women who have come to dominate the music industry and have achieved power,” he said.

“In a way it connects to the story that Ms. Harris wants to tell about herself, her rise to power and control.

Beyoncé’s “Freedom” exploits how Harris and the Democrats tried to reclaim patriotism during this election.

“In the past, there has been a tendency to associate Republicans with patriotism and this idea that they are the ‘true’ patriots and, by extension, their opponents are ‘fake’ Americans or even the enemy.

“Harris reconnected with the word freedom, especially for reproductive rights.”

While it might be tempting to dismiss each candidate’s playlist as a sideshow, in such a close election, it might actually help them win.

Professor Clague said: “Many voters don’t know who to trust because of all the misinformation.

“When you feel like that, then Beyoncé seems more reliable than The New York Times.

“If voters love a pop star, then supporting that star could pay off. It could make a difference.”