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Will the end of American hegemony be soundtracked by millennial pop?
What did Prime Minister Mark Carney post?
On Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney posted a video on X announcing a new strategic partnership between Canada and China. The simple montage of the two leaders and their teams convening stood out for more than just its geopolitical significance: it's soundtracked by the millennial optimism anthem "Midnight City" by M83.
Why are politicians posting pop songs?
The song choice is another signal that politicians around the world are tapping into the power of pop music in their digital communications strategy. (Prime Minister Carney already dabbled in this strategy when he used the famous piano line from "golden hour" by pop signer JVKE in a video publicizing his meeting with the Qatari government.)
Trump has leaned into using pop music (and provoking the ire of pop stars) as a publicity strategy.
His White House used SZA's parody song "Big Boy" in a post on X to boast about their mass deportation policy. SZA responded, but relented that the White House was seeking "free promo" by "rage baiting" reactions from artists.
The incident followed another highly publicized spat between the Trump White House and Sabrina Carpenter who condemned the administration for using her song "Juno" in a (now deleted) video also advertising their efforts to deport undocumented immigrants. "
"this video is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda,” Carpenter wrote on X.
Prime Minister Carney's use of the nostalgic synth pop of "Midnight City" is likely a subtle move to express starry eyed hope towards the closeting national relationship between China and Canada. And it's yet another subtle nod to the (chronically online) west's warming sentiments towards China.
More broadly, though, the post is a display of the enduring relationship between pop and politics in an era where politics is culture and vice versa.
Be it a nod to a feeling, or an outright provocation, pop music continues to be a powerful way for politicians to express a feeling or tap into the national mood.