Now that the election is over and Trump has taken his place in the White House as the 45th President of The United States, it is obvious that many Americans are not happy. Protests began the day after the Inauguration with the Women’s March and continues with each policy Trump passes. It seems everyone is getting involved in the conflict; even musicians.

Singer and songwriter, Frank Turner briefly discussed the subject in his recent concert in Denver through his music. Turner’s newest song, “Sand in the Gears”, questions Trump’s intentions. “What do we do if they don’t represent us?” Turner says in “Sand in the Gears”. “I thought we were winning the war against the homophobes and the racists.” Turner also tries to inspire his audience with the final lyric, “Let’s be the sand in the gears for the next for years.”

He closed the show with “Love Ire & Song” because of its relevance to today. Some of the lyrics from the song include, “Let’s be heroes, let’s be martyrs, let’s be radical thinkers,” and “Oh, but surely just for one day, we could fight and we could win, and if only for a little while, we could insist on the impossible.”

Many other artists are following this same pattern. Green Day released a new lyric video for their song “Troubled Times” four days before Inauguration. In the video, an animation of Trump’s head literally burns while Martin Luther King Jr. is crying.

Even prior to the election, artists seemed to be using their platforms to advocate for their political beliefs. The Black Eyed Peas released a new music video in September of 2016 to their song “Where Is The Love?” This video displays images of police brutality, war and other conflicts in America while many public figures lip sync, “Where is the love?”
It is inspiring to see musicians not only sing about their personal problems, but also global issues. These songs have the capability to reach a wide range audience and possibly spark the spread the love in America.