Mic Check: Politics in Every Verse
Mic Check: Politics in Every Verse
When did music get so political? It has always been political, and it always will be. In the words of Cesar A. Cruz, “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.” Music has always been a political form of expression, whether in movies, literature, or music. The point of view of an artist shapes the way they express their pieces. Political views inevitably shape how an artist's works are presented and what they create for. All music is political because it either challenges or supports the structures of our society or values, whether that was intentional or not. When it comes to music, directors and artists can be very forward when it comes to being political such as with tours like Long Live the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance, but they can also be very hidden with their meaning such as the Halftime show from the newest Super Bowl by Bad Bunny.
Music is political, especially punk rock. Punk was made from rebellion and resistance. Cameron’s description of punk shows that the music gives a voice to those whom people and society often ignore. By expressing anger toward the established order, punk allows us to challenge authority and those behind it. Even when songs aren’t about government or laws, their messages about self-expression and defiance reflect the ideas of freedom. Punk’s rejection of the “social norm” proves that music isn't just for entertainment; it confronts our social system and demands change. When you think of politics in art, one of the biggest contenders is music. Music dates back over 100,000 years ago so humans have definitely covered their bases when it comes to writing about almost anything their hearts desire. Political music was big during the U.S. Civil Rights movement, allowing African Americans to express their feelings in an artistic type of way. This idea only got bigger once punk rock was introduced to the music scene in the mid-1970s. In a book titled The Oxford Handbook of Music and Disability Studies, Colin Cameron wrote the following when describing how punk rock makes people feel: “Punk is the noise of the alienated, the disregarded, and the disrespected. Each of these forms is used to articulate anger at the established order.” (Cameron, pg 240). Music is political, especially punk rock. Punk was made from rebellion and resistance. Cameron’s description of punk shows that the music gives a voice to those whom people and society often ignore. By expressing anger toward the established order, punk allows us to challenge authority and those behind it. Even when songs aren’t about government or laws, their messages about self-expression and defiance reflect the ideas of freedom. Punk’s rejection of the “social norm” proves that music isn't just for entertainment; it confronts our social system and demands change.
Punk Rock is an old genre, but how does it compare to music nowadays? Green Day, The Offspring, Blink-182, The All-American Rejects, and Jimmy Eat World, are all more recent examples of bands that go against the social norm. My Chemical Romance is a far cry from what one might consider punk music but their 2025 concert “Long Live the Black Parade” is full of political commentary. The Black Parade album, originally written in 2006 about coming to terms with death, was given a brand new context. It is now a show about our roles in an increasingly authoritarian state and our increasingly democratic state. During the show, the audience is asked to vote for the execution of four actors. No matter what the crowd votes, the outcome is the same. This forces the audience to step back and face what they were asked to do. By asking the audience to vote for the execution of people under the excuse of “democracy” sends a clear message that is “... uncomfortably relevant in today’s increasingly authoritarian United States. It doesn’t actually matter what the audience votes. In a state with a sole figure of power, he makes the final call on life and death and backs it with military force.” (Lin Yang). My Chemical Romance’s concert shows that art is political by turning an album originally about death into a new show about power and democracy. The band remade this show to reflect our modern issues about control, government authority, and the illusion of freedom. By asking their fans to vote, but not really giving them the choice, the band shows how people can be manipulated by the appearance of democracy. This choice makes a bold statement about power in society now. It shows that even if art isn’t originally about politics, it can change to reflect our current world.
In discussions about politics in music, the Super Bowl halftime show by Bad Bunny is another strong example of how pop culture can carry deeper social meaning. The show was not just a musical performance, it was full of culture for those who knew where to look and a political statement that sparked intense discussion around the world. Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, better known as Bad Bunny, performed the show entirely in Spanish, making it the first show to ever do so. It showcased Puerto Rican culture, such as the working-class like the sugarcane harvest scene and having the pava straw hats. Spain introduced the crop to the island in the 1500s and created huge plantations that relied on enslaved people for labor. By the late 1800s, the United States seized control of the island and established its own profitable sugar industry, with American companies owning much of the production and making enormous profits. Puerto Ricans were treated more like a problem to control than a people to value. Even so, the people continued to survive and succeed. They built their own music, cuisine, storytelling traditions, and businesses, shaping a culture that is both joyful and incredibly resilient, one that has spread across the globe. In just a few moments on television, Bad Bunny captured all of it: the struggle, the creativity, and the pride of his people. Decades after it was once illegal to display the Puerto Rican flag or sing patriotic songs, he stood on one of the biggest stages in America, waving his flag and performing Puerto Rican music, surrounded by other Latinos holding their own flags high. One of the most powerful moments of the show came when Bad Bunny gave one of his Grammys to a young Latino boy. Many people pointed out how much the child looked like 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, who was taken into custody with his father outside their home in Minneapolis and later sent to a detention center in Texas. Another main part of the show was the fake light poles set up, also representing another problem that Puerto Ricans dealt with. It highlighted Puerto Rico’s ongoing power outages, which have become worse since the island’s electrical grid was privatized. On Christmas Eve 2025, another blackout left thousands of residents without electricity. During the performance, the dancers acted as if they were trying to repair the power lines, while Bad Bunny climbed to the top of a pole and pointed straight at the camera. His expression suggested that the responsibility to fix these problems falls on him, and on Puerto Ricans themselves. Time News pointed out that “In the lead-up to the performance, many conservative commentators expressed concern that Bad Bunny wasn’t American enough…(Never mind that Puerto Ricans are American, and that the Super Bowl has also hosted plenty of non-Americans.)” (R. Chow). His halftime show was only nothing but full of love for his culture and message to those who knew what to look for. He ended the show by proclaiming “God bless America” and listing dozens of nations across North, Central, and South America. As he left the stage, the jumbotron read ‘The only thing more powerful than hate is love.’.
Ultimately, music has always been political. It is shaped by the time, place and people who created it, and in turn, it shapes the world that listens to it. Whether it is shouted through stadium speakers, whispered through metaphors, or woven into a performance, music carried perspective. It tells us who feels heard, who feels silenced, and who is demanding to be seen. Even when a song seems purely entertaining, it still reflects values, identities, and experiences that are tied to larger social realities. To ask when music “got” political is a misunderstanding of what music has always done. From anthems of revolution to songs of cultural celebration, from coded lyrics to bold declarations on the world's biggest stages, music continues to comfort those who feel unseen and challenge those who would rather not look. As long as society wrestles with power and identity, artists will translate those struggles into melody and rhythm. Music has always been political, and it always will be, because it is, at its core, a reflection of us.
Chow, Andrew R. “Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Was an Exuberant Act of Resistance.” TIME, Time, 9 Feb. 2026, time.com/7373018/bad-bunny-super-bowl-halftime-show-analysis/.
McKay, Geroge. “The Oxford Handbook of Music and Disability Studies.” Google Books, 2016, books.google.com/books?id=TJWFCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA240#v=onepage&q&f=false. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Yang, Lin. ““Long Live the Black Parade” and the Fall of a Dictatorship.” The Michigan Daily, 8 Aug. 2025, www.michigandaily.com/arts/music/long-live-the-black-parade-and-the-fall-of-a-dictatorship/.
