Editor’s Note: Political music is alive and well — just not always where you’d expect to find it. Check out these 10 songs and the artists who are speaking out about political issues across the globe. Have a song you’d like to recommend to us? Fill out the form here and let us know!
1. LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii by Bad Bunny
They want to take my river and my beach too
They want my neighborhood and your kids to leave
Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rican rapper and singer, has been the subject of right wing backlash in recent years for his outspoken opposition to ICE, his criticism of President Donald Trump,and his endorsement of Kamala Harris. Bad Bunny primarily speaks and performs in Spanish, his first language, which has driven many of those white nationalist racists crazy- especially given how popular he is in the United States. After Bad Bunny was chosen to perform at this year’s Superbowl half-time show, he caused such a stir that the TPUSA decided to boycott the show and host their own “All-American Half-time Show” instead. His most recent album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, which is the first Spanish-language record to win the prestigious Album of the Year Grammy award, is a tribute to Puerto Rico. The album discusses Puerto Rican culture, Puerto Rican independence, and the personal effects of colonization. On the track “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii” Bad Bunny connects the struggles of native Hawaiians to the struggles of Puerto Ricans, both who are facing gentrification and displacement from their homelands.
2. serena joy by Olivia Rodrigo
If they do it to them
Thеy’ll do it to you
If they do it to them
They’re gonna do it to you
Though she originally recorded it alongside her most recent album you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, Olivia Rodrigo decided the song didn’t fit enough with the relationship-focused theme of the album. Luckily, she released it for listeners separately, as a lead-up to her groundbreaking Daisy Chain Fields Festival which had its debut this summer. Rodrigo’s Daisy Chains Field Festival is a charity music event raising funds for organizations that uplift women’s issues like the National Domestic Workers Alliance and Planned Parenthood. There were 10 organizations total who were selected to receive the funds from the festival revenue which came out to 20 million dollars. On the song “serena joy” Rodrigo references an antagonist from the popular book-turned-television show The Handmaid’s Tale. The character Serena Joy is a woman who, in the christo-patriachal-fascist world of Handmaid’s Tale, is complicit and actively participates in the violence and state repression of women, and ultimately becomes oppressed by the very system she helped. The track warns women about being complicit with patriarchy, or they might end up with the same unfortunate fate as Serena.
International Monetary Fund
I got a monkey on my back and it’s a rather heavy one
Haitian-American rapper Mach-Hommy is beloved in underground rap circles for his effortless flows and sharp lyrical content. Born in Port-au-Prince, and raised in New Jersey, Mach-Hommy’s songs consistently speak out about the political and social crises facing Haitians and the neo-colonial forces behind it. When asked about what he wants people to talk about in regards to Haiti, he responded, “I’d like the conversation to be about the resiliency of these people and the untapped wealth of skill, thought, language, art…And they look to everyone else, not for a handout but for recognition and acknowledgement for what they’ve contributed, as a culture, to the book of humanity.” The song “POLITickle” comments on the way the system, and corruption from individuals within it, keep control over countries like Haiti through financial dominance and imperialist violence.
And how America gives more than America takes
We give weapons to dictators in apartheid states
We give kids in Palestine PTSD
But we’ll never fuckin’ ever give them something to eat
And if you’ve got a problem with it, you could end up in jail
Send you to Louisiana, million dollar bail
The song “Big Stick” by the indie-pop band MUNA was created to help raise funds for the organization Pal Humanity, to help provide communities in Gaza with desperately needed supplies and materials. The band noted that it’s the most political song they’ve ever done and band member Katie Gavin said of the track: “The overarching kind of story of the song is it takes you from a place of thinking about how our desires, particularly as Americans living under late stage capitalism, are influenced on different levels. How that can lead to us knowingly or unknowingly consenting to violence that is done on our behalf, whether that’s just the violence done under capitalism or the end stage violences of genocide.” The song explicitly calls out American imperialism, capitalism, and state violence.
Very grateful we never stopped fighting
And thank God that we are Irish
The Irish-Rap group KNEECAP is no stranger to being political. The group is well known in Ireland (and throughout the world) for its open and public disdain of the British government and its imperialist and colonial policies. KNEECAP’s members get their politics from Irish Republicanism and are calling for the reunification of Ireland. One way they express their politics is by speaking and performing in Irish Gaelic, further popularizing the existing movement to protect and preserve Irish Culture and tradition. KNEECAP has also been extremely vocal in its support for Palestinian liberation, with member Mo Chara saying, “The Palestinian cause is very close to the Irish people’s hearts, for obvious reasons in my opinion…We grew up as Britain’s first colony. We had 800 years of colonialism. At the end of the day, we understand colonialism…we’re not doing this for no reason. We watch what’s happening in the Middle East and we relate to it.” On the song FENIAN, the group reclaims a word that originally had been a term for Irish warriors, but in contemporary times has been used as a slur against Irish people.
Megaphone screamin’ out
Dream about revolution, air pollution
Same solution, socialism
Chicago rapper Noname, has been an open socialist for several years now and also leads an international book club called the “Noname Book Club” which focuses its reading selections and recommendations on radical fiction and non-fiction works by authors like W.E.B. Du Bois, Paulo Freire, bell hooks, and Walter Rodney, for example. It’s no shock that her music is heavily influenced by her politics. After taking a break from music, reflecting on her status as a celebrity, Noname came out with her album Sundial in 2023 where she pushes forward her socialist identity on several tracks. On the song “Namesake” she criticizes rappers like Jay-Z for working with billion dollar associations like the NFL, and even criticizes herself for performing at the music festival Coachella- something she originally said she’d never do. While she’s upfront about her political beliefs, not all of her songs are so overt. In a 2025 interview, she said of her art: “I believe in the necessity of revolutionary art, but I don’t think that, as artists, it’s helpful or even really productive for us to exclusively make that type of art…”
To the ones who came before us
All the golden ones who were lifted on a wing
We had no idea the dreams we had were far too big
Far too big
Musical prodigy Lorde has impressed listeners with her social commentary poetically laced throughout a bold and unique sound, since her debut album Pure Heroine released in 2013. The New Zealander has throughout her musical development, been a reliable voice for young people to reflect the real feelings of anxiety, resentment, and stress that affect our lives living under a system that prioritizes the superficial and frivolous. In her 2021 album, Solar Power, she focuses on the natural world and becoming grounded with the material after experiencing pop-stardom and Hollywood life at such a young age. On the track “Fallen Fruit” Lorde mourns a dying earth and calls attention to the climate crisis.
Words aren’t enough, what else can I say?
My tears have dried out, and my heart is broken
I’m far away, but I’m praying for you
Palestinian-Chilean pop-princess Elyanna is just as playful and glitzy as any pop-star ought to be. While most of her discography consists of upbeat rhythms and passionate lyrics, off-stage she’s been dedicated to shedding light on the genocide in Palestine. Beyond the cultural impact of her identity as a Palestinian on the national stage, she has worked closely with direct aid groups like Heal Palestine and the UN World Food Programme. At every show she performs whether it be Glastonbury or Coachella, she is committed to bringing attention to Palestine. She said: “We always have to talk about Palestine, and really, everywhere I go, I always have a keffiyeh with me. When I’m on stage I make sure it’s out at the end of the show. We’ve always got to represent and make sure that everybody sees and talks about Palestine.” On her track “Olive Branch” Elyanna sings a somber and griefful message dedicated to her people.
9. Chosen Family by Rina Sawayama
We don’t need to be related to relate
We don’t need to share genes or a surname
You are, you are
My chosen, chosen family
On her track “Chosen Family” Rina Sawayama, a pansexual, speaks to a common experience among the queer community — when rejected by your biological family, discovering a family that isn’t blood related but that has the kind of love and support you’d expect of our closest kin. Sawayama’s alt-pop sound and distinctive visual style makes her stand out for all the right reasons. She was born in Japan and later immigrated to England with her parents as a child. In her music she reveals her personal experiences being a queer Japanese immigrant blending themes of vulnerability and empowerment. Sawayama uses her voice not just in her music, but to speak up for herself and others. After her label-mate Matty Healy, a singer in the band The 1975, got on a podcast and made a racist joke about rapper Ice Spice by calling her a “chubby Chinese lady” (Ice Spice is Black), Sawayama spoke up. At Glastonbury Festival she spoke to the crowd and said her song “STFU” was dedicated to Healy because she was “sick and tired of microaggressions.” She called him out further saying he’s “a white man who watches Ghetto Gaggers and mocks Asian people on a podcast. He also owns my masters. I’ve had enough.” Rina Sawayama makes sure everyone knows where she stands.
10. True Believer by Hayley Williams
The South will not rise again
‘til it’s paid for every sin.
Hayley Williams, most famous for her position as lead singer of the popular band Paramore, was born in Nashville, Tennessee and raised by a conservative Christian family. She’s been a musician who’s been particularly outspoken against the far-right and MAGA. At a concert in 2024 she encouraged her fans to vote against Donald Trump, saying: “Project 2025 is Donald Trump‘s playbook for controlling and punishing women, poor people, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community…” Williams released her third solo album Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party last year. On the track “True Believer” Williams criticizes the hypocrisy of conservative Christians in the United States and reflects on the racist history of the south.
The opinions of the author do not necessarily reflect the positions of the CPUSA.
Images: Bad Bunny Performs by Comecoquito. CCO 1.0 Universal. Olivia Rodrigo @ Theatre at Ace Hotel 10 09 2023 by Justin Higuchi. CC BY 2.0. MUNA performing at First Avenue in Minneapolis, 2022 by erintheredmc. CC BY 2.0. WideAwakeBrockP230525 (161 of 185) (cropped) by Raph_PH. CC BY 2.0. Outside Lands 2017 IMG 8586 (35768634493) (cropped) by friedoxygen. CC BY 2.0. Lorde in Seattle 2013 – 2 by Kirk Stauffer. CC BY-SA 3.0. Elyanna UAM by United Arabic Music. CC BY-SA 4.0. Rina Sawayama 04/30/2018 #6. CC BY 2.0. Paramore at Royal Albert Hall – 19th June 2017 – 09 by Ralph PH. CC BY 2.0.
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