2017 marks the beginning of a new period filled with uncertainty and anxiety for countless Americans across the country. The past year and a half showcased the rise of a prolific businessman and reality television star to the most powerful position in the world. Not only has Donald Trump been the most controversial presidential candidate ever, but at a more basic level, it seems that he values his personal goals over those of the country he now leads.
Starting roughly a month before his election, countless musicians have begun anti-Trump collaborative projects or playlists in an effort to fight against the president’s rhetoric used throughout the campaign.
Debuting on October 10th, the “30 Days, 30 Songs” project released new or reworked songs where artists expressed their disapproval of Donald Trump before the November election. The playlist has now grown to 50 songs, available on streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify. It features prominent artists commenting, disavowing or poking fun at Trump.
Featuring songs like “Million Dollar Loan” by Death Cab for Cutie, “Demagogue” by Franz Ferdinand, “Fat Fingers” by clipping.—a hip-hop track that pulls lines from classic diss tracks—or “Mr. Tangerine Man” by Wesley Stace, the “30 Days, 30 Songs” project shares its message through nearly every genre.
However, “30 Days, 30 Songs” didn’t end when the election did. The project, created by writer Dave Eggers, is taking its message of protest to ambitious new levels by orchestrating a playlist called “1,000 Days, 1,000 Songs.” Following the same format as “30 Days, 30 Songs,” this new endeavor will feature a new song every weekday for the next 1,000 days which, when excluding weekends, roughly span the length of Trump’s presidential term.
To kick off “1,000 Days, 1,000 songs,” a live version of R.E.M.’s “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” was released on Inauguration Day.
Perhaps it’s a fitting song to kick off the new era of anti-Trump protests. While many Americans are anxious for what’s to come, R.E.M.’s track is a perfect split of hopefulness and recognition that things will most definitely be different in the coming years.
Music has always been a powerful tool in protesting injustice. Spreading the word is an integral part of any fight or cause, and these tracks allow messages of racial, economic and gender equality to spread to the masses. In addition to Trump’s past rhetoric, he has openly denied climate change and, with the help of Congress, is fighting to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Bringing attention to these issues is vital, but in order to help support the fight, organizations that advocate for equality need funding.
That is where Our First 100 Days comes in. In a similar vein as “1,000 Days, 1,000 Songs,” Our First 100 Days is an album featuring new and old tracks from artists across the nation who wish to speak out against Trump’s goals during his presidency. The project will release a new song every day until its full release in April. All proceeds from the sale of the album, which has a minimum contribution of $30, will go toward groups fighting on behalf of environmental action, women’s rights and immigration groups.
Outside of these ambitious protest compilations, artists are releasing singles to bring more attention to all of the issues threatened by the Trump presidency. Within a couple days of Trump’s inauguration, Arcade Fire, Joey Bada$$, Fiona Apple and Gorillaz all released tracks denouncing his rhetoric and rise to power.
Such an overwhelming influx of anti-Trump music may help give a greater sense of hope for the coming four years, reminding us that now is not the time to sit back and get complacent with the new administration.
When we see injustice, we must act on it, and these tracks make it seem possible to change things for the better.
