Get the latest gossip

What Can Kamala Harris’ Presidential Campaign Tell Us About the Current State of Pop Fandom?

From Charli xcx to Chappell Roan to Beyoncé, pop music is driving Vice President Kamala Harris' 2024 campaign. But what does it all mean?

The youth vote is vital – it’s an area where Biden was significantly lagging – and those young voters have completely shifted the election landscape by processing their fears, anxiety and general amusement at the sheer absurdity of the times through this summer’s most culturally resonant pop releases. Through the cultural and commercial success of Brat and Midwest Princess, Gen Z has helped significant pockets of the left-leaning Internet channel their political anxiety into a somewhat ironic, but still largely genuine, embrace of a new candidate suddenly offering an escape from the absolutely miserable election cycle that the Biden-Trump rematch seemed to promise – and the Harris campaign has taken notice. In the same way that Swifties buy the umpteenth version of The Tortured Poets Department because they want to be as immersed in her brand as possible, Biden’s most steadfast supporters – who often cited their respect for his 50-year political career and him being an “honorable man” — refused to waver, despite polls showing that his appearance on the ticket could very well cost the Democrats the election.

Get the Android app