As Americans head to the polls for the US midterm elections on Tuesday, some of the country’s biggest music stars have already chosen sides, turning campaign rallies, concert stages and social media into platforms for political endorsements.
From veteran country singers to pop stars and rappers, the final weeks of campaigning have featured celebrity appearances, political T-shirts, protest songs and public exchanges between artists and political figures.
With control of Congress at stake, musicians have increasingly stepped into the political spotlight, lending their names and audiences to candidates across the country.
Rapper Nicki Minaj was among the most prominent celebrities to join the Republican campaign, appearing alongside US President Donald Trump at a rally in Port Huron, Michigan, on October 25.
Minaj, who previously criticized Trump during his first term, has become an outspoken supporter of the president since his return to the White House.
“I am so honored to be working with this president,” Minaj told the crowd, praising what she described as his resilience.
“Since he’s come back, he’s changed the energy of our country,” she said, adding that Trump had given Americans a brighter future to anticipate for themselves and their children.
The rapper also used her appearance to encourage support for Republican candidates Mike Rogers, who is running for the US Senate, and John James, the party’s candidate for Michigan governor.
Minaj was not the only musician supporting Trump’s party. Kid Rock, a longtime Trump ally, has also appeared on the campaign trail and backed James.
On the other side of Michigan’s Senate contest, rock legend Bruce Springsteen endorsed Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed in a social media post on Monday, taking direct aim at the Trump administration.
“Dr. El-Sayed is a fighter for our American Constitution, he’s a fighter for our American Democracy, and he’s a fighter against the corrupt, lawless, and anti-American leadership currently in the White House,” Springsteen wrote. “That’s why I’m in his corner 100%.”
Country music has also provided prominent Republican supporters. Singer Jason Aldean joined Trump at a campaign rally in Perry, Georgia, on October 24, introducing the president to the crowd.
Aldean, a longtime Trump supporter, has made his political allegiance clear through public appearances and his friendship with the president.
Democratic candidates draw support from pop and country stars
Democratic candidates have also attracted high-profile musical supporters, with some artists using their own concerts to promote their preferred candidates.
Pop star Olivia Rodrigo found a particularly visible way to endorse Amy Acton, the Democratic candidate for governor of Ohio.
During a concert in Columbus on Thursday, Rodrigo appeared onstage wearing a T-shirt bearing Acton’s name. The candidate quickly expressed her appreciation on social media.
“Ohio loves you, Olivia Rodrigo!” Acton wrote following the performance.
The following evening, Rodrigo went a step further, presenting Acton with a bouquet of flowers during another Columbus concert.
“Thank you for using your voice to inspire a new generation,” Acton wrote after the encounter. “It’s time to build a brighter future in Ohio.”
In Texas, several of the biggest names in country music have rallied behind Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico.
Country music legend Willie Nelson, 93, released an endorsement video in October, praising Talarico and urging Texans to support his Senate bid.
“I’ve gotten to know James Talarico,” Nelson said in the video. “He’s a good man and will be a good senator for the state of Texas. Please vote, and vote for James Talarico.”
The Chicks, Eagles founding member Don Henley, and country singer Kacey Musgraves have also publicly supported Talarico.
The endorsements highlight the political divide within country music, a genre often associated with conservative audiences but one whose leading figures have increasingly made their political positions public.
Protest festival brings rock stars together against Trump
The political involvement of musicians has extended beyond formal endorsements and campaign appearances.
On October 3, guitarist Tom Morello organized the Power to the People Festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, bringing together a lineup of prominent musicians for a concert centered on political activism and opposition to the Trump administration.
The festival featured Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Joan Baez, Dave Matthews and several other artists, combining live performances with messages about democracy, civil rights and political participation.
Springsteen performed his political song “Streets of Minneapolis,” which he released in January in response to the deaths of two Americans during federal immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota.
The evening also included collaborative performances of classic protest songs, including Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World.”
Young, a longtime critic of Trump, has himself been involved in disputes over the use of his music at political events.
Released in 1989, “Rockin’ in the Free World” has become closely associated with political protest, including opposition to Trump’s policies and leadership.
Although the Power to the People concert was not an official Democratic Party campaign event, its timing and political messaging placed it within the broader wave of opposition to the Trump administration ahead of the midterms.
As Americans vote on Tuesday, the country’s political divisions are being reflected across its music industry.
From country and rock to pop and rap, artists have shown little hesitation about exchanging the spotlight of the concert stage for that of campaign rallies, using their public profiles to make their political voices heard beyond the music.
