By Kathy Williams, Features Assignment Editor
Many celebrities have voiced their opinions on President Trump, however singer Demi Lovato wrote a song to publicly announce her views. “Commander in Chief” by Lovato is a political song that discusses issues in the United States today.
Lovato’s single “Commander in Chief” was released on Oct. 14 through Island Records. It premiered on YouTube with a music video accumulating over 5 million views and is available on streaming platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify.
Lovato has not been shy about using her platform to shed light on issues such as mental health and drug abuse. However, releasing a politically natured song was a new move. The song was a message to President Trump – the “commander in chief” referenced throughout it.
She included references to past and active issues in the United States such as to COVID-19 in the lyrics, “We’re in a state of crisis, people are dying,” to President Trump going to his bunker at the White House as a reaction to protests in May in the lyrics, “We’ll be in the streets while you’re bunkering down” and the lyrics “Commander-in-Chief, how does it feel to still be able to breathe” in reference to George Floyd’s death and the Black Lives Matter movement.
“Commander in Chief” is slow with a serious tone, unlike some of her popular pop songs such as “Sorry Not Sorry” and “Confident.” This song aligns with her other works such as “Stone Cold” and “Sober.” Lovato’s voice is highlighted in this piece with subtle piano instrumentals in the background for the beginning of the song. As the song progresses, the instrumentals crescendo, percussion is added and Lovato’s voice is accompanied by the echoes of back-up singers.
Lovato has been active on social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram to encourage people to vote. On Oct. 16 on Twitter, she shared a link to iwillvote.com followed by her tweeting, “iwillvote.com is a GREAT resource for all of your voter questions/needs…” She has since tweeted reminders for people to submit their ballots.
On Oct. 21, Lovato posted a video to Instagram of her explaining what voter ballots may contain and a resource to find out more information on the topic. Her post included a caption that said, “Ballots can be SO overwhelming, trust me I know.. Do you know what’s on your ballot? Find all the candidates and measures you’ll be voting on AND get more information about them in one place with @votesaveamerica’s Ballot Tool: votesaveamerica.com/ballot…”
The music video for “Commander in Chief” was accompanied by a comment section discussing how the song can apply to more than just the election and issues in the United States. Various users argued how this song can be used to represent leaders and issues of other countries, especially Nigeria. Lovato took to Instagram to raise awareness for those affected by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) movement in Nigeria by reposting pictures explaining issues happening globally and used the hashtag #EndSARS in her caption to show alliance.
The 2020 presidential election has caused tension between many individuals. Celebrities such as Lovato have decided to get political and encourage people to vote. “Commander in Chief” is one example of a celebrity using her platform to encourage people to be active in their right to vote.
williakp18@bonavetnure.edu
