Opinion: Donald Trump is no stranger to political controversy - and, as we have learned over the last eight years or so, the newly-minted US President has ruffled quite a few feathers in the music world too.
Trump’s insolent refusal to stop playing music by the likes of REM, Neil Young, The Rolling Stones and even our own Sinead O’Connor at his rallies has led to a mountain of angry ‘cease and desist’ letters being sent to Trump HQ.
However, the entertainment at Trump’s second inauguration earlier this week was a very different story to his first in 2017. Back then, he was desperately grasping at straws to book big names, eventually resorting to whoever seemed to be hanging around Washington DC at a loose end.
Teenage singer Jackie Evancho, an America’s Got Talent contestant largely unknown to international audiences, sang The Star Spangled Banner during the ceremony. Singers Erin Boheme and Tony Orlando performed at the inauguration balls; hardly household names. At the pre-inauguration concert the previous evening, country stars Toby Keith and Lee Greenwood were joined by rock band 3 Doors Down, Jennifer Holliday and DJ Ravidrums. You get the picture. There was more discussion about the artists who had turned down the invitation, including Garth Brooks, Celine Dion and Elton John.
This time around, it’s been a little different.
Snoop Dogg, who had previously referred to people who voted for Trump in the 2016 election as "stupid motherf***ers", and to black artists who performed at his 2017 inauguration as "Uncle Toms", once called Trump’s fans "racist" and used a toy gun to ‘shoot’ a parody of him in a music video. Eight years down the line, he has changed his tune, co-headlining the pre-inauguration Crypto Ball in Washington DC. He has yet to respond to the mounting criticism that his 180-turn has generated.
Nelly responds to the backlash of his decision to perform at President Trump's inaugural ball.
— XXL Magazine (@XXL) January 21, 2025
"It's not political for me... growing up I was told to respect the office." pic.twitter.com/DGKCeMyk1S
His fellow rapper Nelly was also slammed for performing at the Liberty Inaugural Ball on Monday, with the Hot in Herre star coming in for heat on social media. "This isn’t politics," he said in defence. "The politics, for me, is over. [Trump] won!... It is an honour for me to perform for the president of the United States, regardless of who is in office." Other big names, including country stars Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean, Gavin DeGraw, Kid Rock and Billy Ray Cyrus performed at various events honouring the new POTUS. If Killing Joke were still around, their song Birds of a Feather would have perfectly suited the occasion.
And the irony in a band like Village People - in many ways, the quintessential LGBTQ+ band - performing at an inauguration event on the same day that Trump rolled back trans and gender identity rights has not been lost on many. Their response? A rather tepid "We believe it’s time to unite through music, which is why we will perform at various events for the 2025 inauguration of Donald J. Trump."
on January 19, 2025 in Washington, DC (Pic: Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
Of course, everyone, including Snoop Dogg, are entitled to change their opinions and alter their stance on issues - political or otherwise. Yet rather depressingly, in an era that is increasingly politically black and white, it seems like we’ve come to a point where integrity in art matters less and less.
The saying ‘Never have heroes, they’ll only disappoint you’ rings more true by the day. We could certainly do with a few more protest songs and protest singers. Until then, it seems that there are any number of musicians willing to provide the backing track for Trump’s Pied Piper melody - although, we all know how that story ended.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
