Bad Bunny, Springsteen and the wait for a defining protest song

In late January,Bruce Springsteenreleased "Streets of Minneapolis," memorializing Minnesota residents shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, weaving "ICE Out Now" chants into a chorus of Trump-era resistance.

Bad Bunny, Springsteen and the wait for a defining protest song

A few weeks later,U2unveiled "American Obituary," one of five songs on surprise album "Days of Ash" the band recorded to "confront these maddening times."

In February,Bad Bunnyused his Super Bowl headlining movement to highlight Puerto Rico'sgentrification and economic strugglesin front of128.2 million viewers. He ended his performance holding a football inscribed with the message "Together, We Are America".

Many of music's biggest stars are politically vocal online and in interviews. Yet the majority of new music doesn't feel tied to a defining protest moment. The songs arrive, circulate and fade out quickly. They don't seem to have the same unifying power of '60s era songs like "People Get Ready," "Give Peace a Chance" and "The Times They Are A-Changin'" that spoke to the Civil Rights Movement, anti-Vietnam War protests and mid-century counterculture.

Today, the music is out there, protest is alive, and yet it feels like something is missing.

Why, in an era when artists seem more outspoken than ever, does it feel like we're still waiting for a defining political soundtrack?

Protest music is 'romanticized,' but it's not always overt

Songs as overt asNina Simone's "Mississippi Goddam"are transcendent emblems of the 1960s. "Mississippi" was explosive and controversial to the point where Simone faced intense blowback and eventually took a break from music altogether. But not every protest song was a hit, with esteem for some coming years later.

Dr. Tammy L. Kernodle, Miami University Department of Music professor, says for many Black artists navigating crossover radio, protest music often traveled through metaphor and spirit.

"Most of Black popular music up until that point had really stayed away from any type of overt protest narrative," she says of music during the Civil Rights Movement. "Notice why I say 'overt,' because we're always saying something, even when we're not saying anything."

Much of the music during the Civil Rights Movement didn't "stick" in the way we assume, Kernodle says. The soundtrack to resistance thrived in specific settings; they were sung in the streets and in organizing spaces.Yet for Black music in particular, the hits of the time – fromAretha Franklin "Respect"toMarvin Gaye's "What's Going On"– used indirect messaging to make a point.

"It can be argued that most of Black music before our contemporary times is some form of protest music," she says. "Black music has always had a strain of resistance in it. So whether we were expressing joy or we were actually documenting what were experiences of oppression or systems of oppression, we've always been singing."

The reason we remember the '60s era so fondly, she says, is it had a clearly identifiable soundtrack that was threaded throughout the promotion of political movements. She calls it "systematic" how the music of Nina Simone, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez – cornerstones of popular culture – became part of the consciousness of a larger moment.

That includes the era's other causes. Anti-war campaigns saw Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young outcry the Kent State shootings in "Ohio" and Creedence Clearwater Revival slam the military draft in "Fortunate Son." The pro-feminism movement saw Lesley Gore declare "You Don't Own Me" and Aretha Franklin reclaim "Respect." And an anti-establishment youth rebellion overtook music with help from Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'" and The Beatles' "Revolution."

The era felt unified in its divergent movements, moving in tandem as the music demanded a more peaceful, equitable world.

"There is a soundtrack to this movement that we can't identify with any other time. We can talk about the blues in the 1920s, but it is not associated with the type of mass mobilization and radical social change that is embodied, like what we see in the 1960s," Kernodle says. "Those young people amped that thing up. And they did it with music because they understood that music was a way of really spreading ideology. It was also a way of disarming people's ears."

Why does it feel like political music doesn't stick today?

Engaging in protest music may be harder now. Leading up to the streaming era, protest music surged in waves. The late 1980s and '90s saw N.W.A.'s "F--- tha Police" and Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name" take on police brutality. In the aughts, Green Day critiqued post-9/11 American culture with "American Idiot" and Willie Nelson returned to the charts with his cover of the satirical "gay cowboy song," "Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other," cheekily affirming his longtime friend and tour manager coming out.

But musicians now have the added issue of a fragmented music culture. Unique algorithms put people on different sides of the internet and feed them songs similar to what they're already listening to. And unlimited access to music via streaming makes it harder for smaller artists to break through.

"People are still playing music. They're still doing shows, they're still saying what they wanna say. They're still finding an audience in that way. But there's just so much more of it," saysDr. Dave Powell, who teaches the course "Protest Music and Social Change in the American Experience" at at Gettysburg College. "There's also a lot of art being made by people who are just responding to things on a day-to-day basis and that could be harder to find if you don't know where to look for it."

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Music is also much less communal, and protest anthems require participation.

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"We're no longer a singing nation. We don't sing collectively, cooperatively, and publicly," said Kernodle. "We sang in church. We sang in school. You sang with your friends. You sang with the radio, video. And that disappeared."

It's also easier to identify protest music when there is a surge in resistance, whether that's reflecting Vietnam anti-war sentiments in Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind," Bush Era grievances in Green Day's "American Idiot" or standing against Black Lives Matter-era racial injustice in Kendrick Lamar's "Alright."

When there is less of a sustained national uprising, you often see less of a musical response. So now, with a political resurgence in the streets and on campuses in support of Palestine or against ICE, a YouTube-famed folk singer like Jesse Welles can emerge as the protest song's newfound champion. The "War Isn't Murder" singer's reactionary style of making music – which sees him release songs several times a month – may not be topping charts, but he has found a captive audience excited about what his presence means for the contemporary political anthem.

Today's protest music carries new risks

For the artists without global stardom or creative control over their music, there is also the added layer of risk. Labels favor broad marketability and commercial viability, and potentially controversial records don't usually fit the criteria. Today's political songs are rarely promoted, and in kind, don't impact the cultural zeitgeist as they did before.

"There's always some manipulation. There's always some censoring. There's always a desire to promote artists in a particular way, especially because of that shadow of crossover being so important, particularly if you're singing in what are seen as marginalized genres," said Kernodle, referring to rap, country and R&B. "I think labels don't want to promote that now because they don't think that people have a desire for that kind of music."

Established artists are able to take more risks, saysJoseph Terry, senior lecturer in communications at the University of New Hampshire.Beyoncérarely made openly political music until two decades into her career. When it did happen, marked by the Grammy-winning singer and her dancers appearing on the Super Bowl halftime stage wearing outfits similar to those made famous by the Black Panther Party, it led Rush Limbaugh and other conservative commentators to lash out and prompted the "Saturday Night Live" skit "The Day Beyoncé Turned Black."

"Not everyone can be Bad Bunny, and be seen as a mainstream figure, but also be so political," Terry says, pointing out that the Puerto Rican rapper and singer's music, while fun to dance to, addresses colonization, gentrification and corruption in his homeland. Non-Spanish speakers may not be fully attuned, but it's an affirming act of resistance for fans.

There is also a tendency for contemporary artists to make their political anthems less brazen – Bad Bunny rapping about not wanting Latin families to move away from their homes is a subtle referendum on economic insecurity in "DtMF," and Lady Gaga singingabout loving yourselfin "Born This Way" was an affirmation to queer communities.

"It doesn't matter whether a lot of people might not recognize that a song is political because as long as some people do, the point is coming across," Terry says. Yet, "these simple acts of protest, I think, are seen as more controversial today, which is a larger issue than music."

What Bad Bunny's halftime showmeans for Puerto Rico

Music has never been neutral

At February'sGrammy Awards, multiple artists including Bad Bunny,Billie EilishandKehlanispoke out about ICE, garnering praise in the room but riling up some viewers on social media. Controversial comedian Ricky Gervais took toXafter the ceremony to resurface comments he made during his 2020 Golden Globes monologue, in which he told the onlooking actors: "If you do win an award tonight, don't use it as a political platform to make a political speech. You're in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world."

"Instead of what they said to LeBron, 'Shut up and dribble,' (they're) saying, 'Shut up and sing a song,' which is so absurd," says Terry. "It's a complete ignorance of so much of music of the 20th century."

Some fans want artists with opposing views to stay silent. It's a familiar refrain, likely to get louder if protest music make a mainstream resurgence.

There is also debate over whether music does anything to actually change hearts and minds. Organizing has persisted despite the lack of universal anthems. So why do we need them now? Well, art provides a mirror to what is happening and confirmation that more than one person sees something is not right. Protest music can make the difference between giving up or continuing to fight.

"Art doesn't create movements, it reflects those movements and it can be used to sustain them and support them," says Powell. "There's a famous line attributed to Pete Seeger, that 'A good song reminds us what we're fighting for.'"

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In the comments of one of Jesse Welles' most recent songs, "Good vs Ice," dozens of users thanked the singer for being a breath of fresh air in a time of such political volatility. One person wrote, "You are necessary bro. You are one of the only things the rest of us have any hope for, actually getting through the haze," adding that despite feeling helpless, "You help us all feel a little less so."

While Powell has spoken to musicians who feel that songs don't change anything, he pushes back, saying that while it may be true that music merely reinforces views people already have, it still has a valuable purpose in political movements.

"If it sustains people, if it changes their views on a particular issue, if it gives them a sense of hope when they're lacking one or forces a conversation that they otherwise wouldn't have had," he adds. "Woody Guthrie certainly had an impact on people. Pete Seeger certainly had an impact on people through his music. People like Nina Simone, Josh White, I mean these are great, great artists who change people's ways of seeing the world because of music that they made, so to me that sure seems to make a difference."

Protest music, like many things in contemporary American culture, is now immediate and reactive. And like the fights they're inspired by, the music is still unfolding.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Bad Bunny, Bruce Springsteen and a search for the new political anthem

byAlpha World

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

February 28, 2026

Bad Bunny, Springsteen and the wait for a defining protest song

In late January,Bruce Springsteenreleased "Streets of Minneapolis," memorializing Minnesota residents shot by I...

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Racial slur at BAFTA awards stirs complex feelings for Black people with Tourette syndrome

For Black people living with Tourette syndrome, the British Academy Film and Television Arts Awards incident earlier this week where a vocal tic manifested as a racial slur while two Black stars of the movie "Sinners" were onstage has left them with complicated feelings.

"It's been pretty difficult because I feel like there's such a clash between both sides," said Chloe Winston, 24, who experiences coprolalia, the same verbal tic as John Davidson, the BAFTA nominee and Tourette syndrome advocate who yelled the slur. "A tic is not intentional, but it still causes harm. And I think that does require accountability."

Davidson's utterance just as Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting the first award of that night's ceremony ignited a firestorm that overshadowed Sunday's BAFTAs. There was immediate outrage that the actors and other Black attendees were subjected to the slur. Then there was frustration from the disability community at a lack of understanding about Tourette syndrome. But anger has been loud and widespread for broadcaster BBC because of its decision to allow the racial slur to air uncensored two hours after the live event. Most live awards shows likethe Oscarsoperate on a seconds-long tape delay.

The BAFTA and BBCapologiesalso were criticized as insufficient. The BBC plans to edit it out of its iPlayer streaming service.

The ordeal has compelled Black people with Tourette syndrome, from politicians to content creators, to speak out. They assert that showing empathy for those dealing with the disorder doesn't minimize the pain felt by the Black community. There needs to be acknowledgment of the harm, some have said. Others also worry that misinformation or stereotypes about Tourette syndrome could exacerbate racial profiling or discrimination for Black people who live with it.

Now, advocacy groups are using the BAFTA moment to try to grow existing support networks focused on Black people who feel isolated by Tourette syndrome.

What is Tourette syndrome and coprolalia?

Tourette syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by sudden, involuntary movements and/or sounds called tics, according to the Tourette Association of America. These can be motor and vocal tics. Tics can range from mild and inconsequential to moderate and severe and can even be disabling in some cases.

"We know that there's this sort of sensory and motor loop happening. And again, similarly in the vocalizations, they typically start with things like coughing, sniffing, or other just non-specific sounds, said Dr. Jeremiah Scharf, a tic disorder specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital.

In a majority of people, the symptoms begin to emerge during elementary school age and peak between ages 10 and 14, according to Scharf. Roughly 1.4 million people in the U.S. live with Tourette syndrome or a persistent tic disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Coprolalia is "the involuntary utterance of obscene and socially unacceptable words and phrases." The Tourette Association of America estimates between 10%-15% of people with Tourette syndrome live with it. The organization has cautioned against making assumptions about the person based on the content of the tic.

These vocal outbursts — typically vulgarities and insults — are a biological condition that can sometimes be triggered by stress such as not enough sleep or being upset, Scharf said. The tics are hard to stop and involuntary — almost like a sneeze.

"Unfortunately, for this subset of people, it is incredibly disabling because they don't want to say those things. It's very distressing to them," said Scharf, who was talking in general terms and not about the BAFTA awards incident specifically. "They feel significant remorse about it."

Treatment for severe tic disorders can range from medication to behavioral therapies. Retraining the brain to handle tics is "takes an enormous amount of practice in terms of recognizing when the tics are coming," Scharf said. But, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Incident stirs up struggles against racism and ableism

Jhónelle Bean, an American Sign Language interpreter who is Black and has Tourette syndrome, took to TikTok after seeing so much "all-or-nothing" discourse around the BAFTA awards. Her video about the "complexity and duality of the situation" has garnered over 3 million views.

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"Two things can be true at the same time," Bean said. "Just because he ticced that does not mean it was intentional. But then also that still caused hurt or harm for people that heard it, which again is why I'm mad at the BAFTAs and the BBC for keeping it in the broadcast in the first place because they had the power to take it out."

The incident also brought up "ableism" comments that were flat-out discriminatory. They included that Davidson, the man who shouted the racial slur, "should have been locked away, he should've had a muzzle, things like that," Bean said.

At the same time, Bean disagreed with some engaged in the social media discourse who said those who took offense over the N-word needed to "get over it."

Jumaane Williams, New York City's public advocate who is Black and has Tourette syndrome, said it can be "painful both physically and mentally" to hold in a tic. As someone who has coprolalia too, Williams gives Davidson some credit for removing himself from the situation though "maybe he could have moved a little sooner."

"For me, it was all about making sure we're practicing care. And I don't think that happened for the two actors that were there or the Black folks who were there or people who didn't want to hear the word," Williams said.

A demand for support groups for Black people with Tourette syndrome

There's always going to be inherent concern if you are Black with Tourette syndrome or any tic disorder, said Reice Griffin, 20, who is a Tourette Association of America rising leader and ambassador. She has had people witness her tics and assume she uses drugs or is typically belligerent. And interacting with police can be even more stressful.

"Law enforcement is not well equipped to deal with Tourette syndrome, but also historically, as a Black person, you never really want to be around law enforcement," Griffin said.

The association, which offers printable "I Have TS" cards, is actively trying to offer more support for people of color.

Griffin recently attended a virtual support group meeting for Black young adults, and she has been speaking at schools and to groups to become more comfortable with herself.

"I thought that because I had Tourette syndrome that, like, public speaking was out the window," Griffin said. "If I could help another young Black girl with Tourette syndrome not feel as alone or help people get diagnosed — that's the dream."

Williams, the New York City public advocate, agrees there is not enough support for Black people with Tourette syndrome. He tries to help by speaking about his own life. That has led to him hearing directly from New Yorkers.

"Sometimes in the street or an event people will bring their family member up which is always a pretty emotional space for me because when I see the kid, I know what they're going through," Williams said.

Tang reported from Phoenix.

byAlpha World

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

February 28, 2026

Racial slur at BAFTA awards stirs complex feelings for Black people with Tourette syndrome

For Black people living with Tourette syndrome, the British Academy Film and Television Arts Awards incident earlier this...

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Lawmakers vow war powers vote on Iran strikes

(The Center Square) – Lawmakers said they would force a Congressional vote on war with Iran after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes in the country on Saturday.

U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ken., said he and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., will work together to force the vote in Congress once it returns to session.

"I am opposed to this War," Massie wrote on social media. "The Constitution requires a vote and your Representative needs to be on record as opposing or supporting this war."

The War Powers Act requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing U.S. armed forces abroad.

"Trump has launched an illegal regime change war in Iran with American lives at risk," Khanna wrote on social media. "Every member of Congress should go on record this weekend on how they will vote."

Lawmakers across the aisle praised and slammed President Donald Trump for the military strikes on Iran, dubbed "Operation Epic Fury."

U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Congress was not briefed on the scope and severity of the threat in Iran.

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"Confronting Iran's malign regional activities, nuclear ambitions, and harsh oppression of Iranian people demands American strength, resolve, regional coordination, and strategic clarity," Schumer wrote. "Unfortunately, President Trump's fitful cycles of lashing out and risking wider conflict are not a viable strategy."

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., praised Trump for moving forward with the military action.

"President Trump has been willing to do what's right and necessary to produce real peace in the region," Fetterman wrote in a post on social media.

Lawmakers who praised Trump's actions also sharply criticized Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and called for regime change in the country. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said military action in the region could cause the "biggest change in the Middle East in a thousand years."

Graham called on peace between Saudi Arabia and Israel in the wake of the military strikes on Iran. He said the operation in the region will be "extensive."

"The operation has been well-planned. It will be violent, extensive and I believe, at the end of the day, successful," Graham wrote on social media. "The demise of the ayatollah's regime with American blood on its hands is necessary and more than justified."

The War Powers Act requires hostilies to terminate 60 days after a vote unless Congress authorizes an extension or formally declares war.

byAlpha World

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

February 28, 2026

Lawmakers vow war powers vote on Iran strikes

(The Center Square) – Lawmakers said they would force a Congressional vote on war with Iran after the U.S. and Israel lau...

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Sammy Hagar would work on new Van Halen tracks 'if I got the call'

AsAlex Van Halenworks on unreleased tracks created by his brother, the late guitarist Eddie Van Halen, one of the band's former front menSammy Hagarthinks there's a way the music can achieve the best of both worlds.

A guitar virtuoso who co-founded the band with his drumming brother and singer David Lee Roth,Eddie Van Halendied of cancer in 2020. Alex Van Halen first droppedsome unreleased music created with his brotherwiththe audiobook versionofhis memoir "Brothers,"released in October 2024.

More recently, Alex Van Halen has said there's enough unreleased material recorded while his brother was alive to create a final Van Halen album. Currently, he is working withSteve Lukather, co-founder of the band Toto and a friend of Eddie Van Halen, on helping finishing the album. Also a music producer and arranger,Lukather has saidhe is not playing on the tracks.

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Eddie's son,Wolfgang Van Halen, supplied bass guitar,Alex Van Halen told American Songwriter recently. "The drums are already recorded. The drums, the guitar and the bass are already in there."

In arecent interviewwith the Brazilian YouTube channel and podcast Kazagastão, Alex Van Halen told host Gastão Moreira he had hoped to recruit as a vocalistPaul Rodgers, who previously served as the lead singer for several bands including Free and Bad Company, and Queen, when the band toured after Freddie Mercury's death. "But he can't do it any more," Van Halen said.

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Hagar 'would love to write a song with Eddie again'

Sammy Hagar, who had two stints as Van Halen's lead vocalist – from 1985-1996 after Roth's departure, and again in 2004 – hasn't been contacted about the project, he told USA TODAY. "(Alex Van Halen) has the right to do anything he wants with his brother's stuff, but it's really a shame," he said. "I would love to write a song with Eddie again."

Hagar went so far as to say having him and Roth split the vocals – and have bassist Michael Anthony provide backing vocals – "would be a dream come true for Van Halen fans."

In his memoir, Alex Van Halen didn't cover the "Van Hagar" years of the band, after Roth left in 1985. "For me, the spirit of the band ended in 1984. We did good work after that, but the primary spiritual aspect, the magic, the potential, the looking to the future together, all of that stuff, our mutually strange backgrounds – that's what made Van Halen,"he told USA TODAY in 2024.

"I understand he's got some problems with me," Hagar says. "But whatever, you know, I'm busy. But if I got the call, I would drop just about everything, except for my live shows, to do the right thing for that. It would just be so exciting to work with Eddie again in any way."

Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him atmikegsnider&@mikegsnider.bsky.social&@mikesnider& msnider@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Sammy Hagar would work on new Van Halen tracks 'if I got the call'

byAlpha World

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

February 28, 2026

Sammy Hagar would work on new Van Halen tracks 'if I got the call'

AsAlex Van Halenworks on unreleased tracks created by his brother, the late guitarist Eddie Van Halen, one of the band...

Read More