Pepper spray, camouflage gear and a threat of deadly force don’t hold the typical sounds of music. However, in the political climate of 2026, they echo all the same. As the U.S. government seems to operate with growing freedom and impunity, the presence of enforcement becomes routine, while its emotional residue — fear, grief and vigilance — settles into everyday life. 

Music has always absorbed moments like these. From labor songs and civil rights anthems to punk defiance and antiwar ballads, periods of unrest have consistently found their way into the sounds of musicians. 

“It happens in every generation,” Alfred Cochran, the head of music history and professor of music history and music theory at Kansas State, said. “The topics are sometimes the same, sometimes they’re not.” 

When political tensions rise, artists translate the feelings of despair, hope and resistance into something their listeners can feel. That tradition hasn’t disappeared — it has, in fact, intensified. Musicians are once again threading politics into their works, sometimes through loud songs of protest and other times through quiet storytelling that reflects the social divides of the era. 

This isn’t a new concept. For centuries, musicians have turned the political and social struggles they’ve experienced into songs. In the 19th century, groups like the Hutchinson Family Singers used their signature four-part harmonies to advocate for abolition, labor reform, temperance and women’s rights. Their music challenged the status quo in an era before mass media, proving that even early American audiences could be persuaded and educated through music. 

At the same time, however, other songs reflected a harsher reality. Widespread anti-immigrant sentiment, particularly toward Irish laborers arriving during the potato famine, found its voice in pieces like “No Irish Need Apply.” 

Originally released in 1862 and often credited to have been written by John F. Poole or Kathleen O’Neil, the song resurfaced in the 1950s after Pete Seeger recorded it with his band, The Weavers. Its message is unmistakable, discussing an everyday hostility that marked Irish immigrants as unwanted, dangerous and disposable. Even more than a century after its original release, its themes still feel uncomfortably familiar to American citizens. 

“It’s not just the color of a person’s skin or the economic conditions,” Cochran said. “It’s maybe the nationality too.” 

Moving into the early 20th century, Black musicians began using their music to confront the systemic injustice and oppression they faced. Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” is one of these pieces. Based on a poem written about a photograph of the 1930 lynching of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith in Marion, Indiana, the piece confronted listeners with the horror of lynching. 

Jazz musician John Coltrane’s “Alabama” memorialized the victims of the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, which killed four young Black girls. “Mississippi Goddamn,” by Nina Simone, captured the frustration and urgency of the civil rights movement. 

“All those people reflected the spirit of the time,” Cochran said, showing how music not only chronicled these events but also gave a voice to those who were living through them. 

By the 1950s and 60s, music had become a central catalyst for social and political commentary. Other artists like Woody Guthrie, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan all used their music to spotlight labor struggles, union protests and social inequities. Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” was originally written as a response to “God Bless America” by Irving Berlin. Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” is among the most famous examples of direct questioning of political and societal norms. 

Today, that same spirit of musical activism and protest thrives online. On social media sites like TikTok and Instagram, creators are using short-form video content to share their interpretations of the political landscape. The result is nearly instantaneous, widespread content, with some creators and videos garnering hundreds of thousands of views.  

“With social media, music dissemination is very fast,” associate professor Colleen White said. “Artists can reach a wider audience than ever before, very quickly. The short-format of social media allows for these audiences to have an emotional reaction to the music they consume much more immediately than before. This immediacy and emotional charge can help to make political messages more impactful but also more polarizing.” 

Artists such as Jesse Welles, Mon Rovîa, Sierra Carson, Jax the Bard and coldfishstix are just some of those who have put out music pertaining to the current political climate. Among them, coldfishstix’s “The Iceman Cometh” stands out after amassing 2.9 million views since the video containing the full song was released on Jan. 24. At just 20 years old and with only 27,000 followers, the reach of this singular video shows how social media can amplify an artist’s message far beyond their existing fanbase. 

Beyond social media, established artists continue to use their music as a platform for political commentary. Green Day, for example, has long merged punk energy with social critique, with their album and song of the same name, “American Idiot,” becoming a generational protest against the political climate of the early 2000s. 

Over the years, the band has continued to confront issues like war, inequality and government accountability through their lyrics and performances. The band has even gone so far as changing the lyrics to “American Idiot,” highlighting their resistance to being a part of a “MAGA [Make America Great Again] Agenda.” 

Rap and hip-hop have also served a vital role in strengthening political expression in music. Kendrick Lamar has explored systemic racism, police brutality and his experience as a Black man, blending his personal narrative with sharp social critiques. Similarly, Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” combines provocative visuals with unsettling lyrics focused on gun violence, racial tensions and the spectacle of tragedy that is rampant in the U.S. Both work to create a conversation that goes far beyond the music they produce. 

As history shows, music is never just entertainment — it’s a reflection of the current times and a way to share emotions. From the Hutchinson Family Singers to Billie Holiday to TikTok’s up-and-coming artists, musicians have long found ways to capture the complex anxieties, hopes and outrage of the eras. 

In today’s climate, the stakes feel impending and immediate. The sounds of protest, whispers of dissent and raw expressions of grief are traveling faster than ever and are reaching ears not only across the country but around the world. Each chord and lyric carries weight, reflecting a society in which enforcement, injustice and systematic inequities have become the backdrop of daily life. 

Audiences don’t just hear music — they feel it. It reminds them of the progress that’s been made while reminding them there is still more to fight for. Music does more than document despair — it reminds us of resilience. Music continues to provide artists with a platform to give a voice to those who might otherwise be unheard. Music transforms outrage, fear, oppression, anxiety and more into action. 

While headlines of pepper spray and an ever-looming dictatorship dominate headlines, melodies of protest and hope quietly and powerfully insist that the fight isn’t over and that there is always a soundtrack to the struggle for justice.