America — there’s no must really feel down.
The Village Individuals are performing their 1978 hit “Y.M.C.A” at one in all Donald Trump’s many inauguration celebrations.
Regardless of sending the president-elect, 78, a stop and desist in 2023 to cease utilizing their music after their “Macho Man” tune was performed at a Mar-a-Lago occasion and backing Vice President Kamala Harris within the 2024 election, they’re reporting for obligation — and right here’s why.
The disco group addressed the backlash on social media this week after it was revealed they are going to be one of many a number of performers at Trump’s “MAGA Victory” rally at Capital One Area in downtown Washington on Sunday.
“We know this wont (sic) make some of you happy to hear however we believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics,” Willis wrote in a Fb submit on Feb. 13.
“Our song Y.M.C.A. is a global anthem that hopefully helps bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign where our preferred candidate lost,” he added in a reference to Harris.
“Therefore, we believe it’s now time to bring the country together with music which is why Village People will be performing at various events as part of the 2025 inauguration of Donald J. Trump.”
The Village Individuals’s points with Trump utilizing their music goes method again.
Throughout Trump’s election run towards President Joe Biden, “Y.M.C.A.” and “Macho Man” grew to become a staple all through his marketing campaign.
Trump additionally performed “Y.M.C.A” throughout his final moments of his presidency in January 2021 as he boarded Air Drive One.
“We have no ill will towards the president, but we asked him to cease and desist long ago,” the group’s 2021 assertion to Billboard learn. “However, since he’s a bully, our request was ignored. Thankfully he’s now out of office, so it would seem his abusive use of our music has finally ended. We hope to spearhead a change in copyright law that will give artists and publishers more control over who can and cannot use our music in the public space. Currently there is no limit to blanket licensing.”
In December, the band’s lead singer, Victor Willis, walked again the feedback concerning the former businessman-turned-president and withdrew the stop and desist.
“I decided to allow the president-elect’s continued use of ‘Y.M.C.A.’ because he seems to genuinely, genuinely like the song, and so many other artists were stopping him from using their music,” Willis mentioned throughout an interview with “Fox & Friends.”
He shared that “if he were to ask the Village People to perform the song live for him, we’d have to seriously consider it.”
That very same month, Willis additionally addressed the longstanding perception that “Y.M.C.A.” is “somehow a gay anthem.”
“As I’ve said numerous times in the past, that is a false assumption based on the fact that my writing partner was gay, and some (not all) of Village People were gay, and that the first Village People album was totally about gay life,” he mentioned by way of Fb on Dec. 2.
“This assumption is also based on the fact that the YMCA was apparently being used as some sort of gay hangout and since one of the writers was gay and some of the Village People are gay, the song must be a message to gay people,” Willis defined. “To that I say once again, get your minds out of the gutter. It is not.”
The Village Individuals aren’t the one musicians who’ve copped warmth over their determination to carry out at Trump’s inauguration occasions.
Nation star Carrie Underwood, 41, was slammed after it was introduced she is going to sing “America the Beautiful” on Jan. 20 on the US Capitol.
The “Before He Cheats” singer addressed the backlash, telling The Submit, “I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event. I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future.”
On Sunday, Trump will take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington Nationwide Cemetery, with the “MAGA Victory” rally to comply with.
Apart from Village Individuals and Underwood, different musical performers for the inauguration actions embody Child Rock, Billy Ray Cyrus, Gavin DeGraw and Jason Aldean.
Trump formally turns into the forty seventh president on Monday after a proper swearing-in ceremony.
He beforehand served because the forty fifth president from 2017 to 2021.
