With the upcoming midterm elections, voter participation has been a major source of conversation over the last few weeks. Some of the music and film industry’s most influential stars have decided to speak out about their political beliefs in order to encourage Americans to get to the polls on Nov. 6. This could potentially play a big role in voter turnout next week.
Some celebrities advocated for specific parties and candidates.Musicians Andrew Bird, Kurt Vile and Warpaint, among many others, came together to compile "Songs for Swing Left", a free album to encourage Democratic voting in swing states. All of the songs are preceded with a message from the artist about the Nov. 6 midterm election.
Katy Perry, Bon Iver and Justin Bieber, among others, took to social media to encourage Americans to register in their respective state and to go to the polls in November.
Most famously, country pop star Taylor Swift recently broke her silence on politics by sharing a lengthy post on Instagram outlining her reasons for supporting Tennessee Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections. According to Vote.org, there was a large increase in voter registration after the singer’s post. With over 100 million followers on Instagram, it is obvious that Swift has a large platform through which she is able to encourage and influence political and social engagement.
While Swift took a clear political stance by sharing the specific Democratic candidates that she would be supporting, other stars have simply used their status to encourage their fans to get out and vote, regardless of party preference. Singers including Kelly Clarkson, Maggie Rogers and Ariana Grande have taken to Twitter and Instagram to remind followers about the upcoming election and the importance of every vote.
In previous elections, some stars have been hesitant to take a public political stance. There can be repercussions in terms of ticket sales and fan backlash. So why is this election so different? Why is 2018 the year to speak out?
As young people come to the forefront of American society, the individual power of a democratic vote is being emphasized by mainstream media — and for good reason. Only about 58 percent of voting-eligible Americans voted in the 2016 presidential election. In a time of deep political divide, those with a significant following are beginning to recognize the change they can bring simply by sending out a simple tweet or a post on Instagram. With easy access to their fans through social media, artists are able to reach more people with their ideas now more than ever. Politics used to be a topic to avoid, and now those with the most at stake are speaking out in the name of democracy.
This election cycle, artists and musicians are using their large and loyal fan bases to encourage support of specific candidates and parties, or just general political engagement. The subject of politics in entertainment is no longer taboo, and we will probably be seeing more public stances from our favorite artists, especially in the 2020 presidential election.