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What songs were on the RNC playlist?
Rolling Stone identified three tracks in the first installment of a weekly playlist series promoted by the RNC convention account ahead of the 2024 Milwaukee convention:
- “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd
- “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee
- “God’s Plan” by Drake
The post introduced the series with a description of a return to a time “when the border was secure, gas was cheap, and life was good.” The installment was titled “The (First Four) Trump Years.” Rolling Stone also named Dua Lipa, Zedd, Bebe Rexha, Coldplay and Post Malone among artists featured in the playlist series, characterizing them as artists who had made clear they were not fans of Trump. The report does not establish a complete track list or the playlist’s current streaming availability.
Why did the selections seem politically ironic?
The artists’ earlier public comments and actions created a contrast with the RNC’s nostalgic framing of Trump’s first term. Those examples provide political context; they should not be read as direct responses to the playlist.
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The Weeknd
Rolling Stone reported that The Weeknd canceled a scheduled 2016 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live to avoid sharing the stage with then-candidate Trump. He explained: “I just didn’t want to feel like I was a part of a celebration for somebody who has beliefs that [the] majority of us don’t agree with.”
Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee
Rolling Stone reported that Fonsi joined Barack Obama at a 2020 election-eve rally supporting Joe Biden. It also cited a 2015 freestyle in which Daddy Yankee called Trump a racist. Neither example was a statement about the RNC playlist.
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Drake
Rolling Stone cited a 2017 remark in which Drake said of Trump, “Fuck that man.” The report does not present it as a reaction to the playlist.
How the playlist differs from convention walk-on music
A promotional playlist released ahead of a convention is not the same thing as music played as speakers walk onstage, nor is either necessarily the same as music used at a campaign rally. A Washington Post account of 2024 RNC walk-on music listed “My Heart Will Go On” by Céline Dion and “Hold On, I’m Coming” by Sam & Dave. Those songs were not identified as tracks in the Rolling Stone report about the promotional playlist.
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Dion’s objection, in turn, concerned use of her performance of “My Heart Will Go On” at a Trump campaign rally in Montana—not the RNC playlist or the convention walk-on selection. FactCheck.org reported that Dion’s representatives said, “In no way is this use authorized, and Celine Dion does not endorse this or any similar use,” followed by, “And really, THAT song?” It also found that a viral quote attributed to Lara Trump in response was fabricated and originated with an account identifying itself as satirical.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Does a song’s use mean the artist endorses a political message?
No. A song appearing in political content does not, by itself, establish that its artist supports the candidate or message. The Washington Post explains that venues often hold public-performance licenses, while political events require a separate political-entities license. Rights may belong to publishers or labels rather than to the performer, and an artist’s objection alone does not establish whether a particular use was licensed.
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FactCheck.org quoted Northeastern University law professor Alexandra Roberts saying organizers need to obtain permissions and ensure that the license covers the songs and does not exclude political use. Roberts also explained that, in some circumstances, a false-endorsement claim may be possible if a use creates the impression that an artist endorses a politician or message. That is general legal context, not a finding that the RNC playlist violated the law.
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