Taylor Swift lends song to Biden–Harris campaign ad


Taylor Swift is ready to make President Trump the head of the last great American dynasty.
Swift made her biggest political statement yet on Friday, allowing her song “Only the Young" to be used in a campaign ad for Democratic nominee Joe Biden and his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris. The spot comes from Rep. Eric Swalwell’s (D-Calif.) Remedy PAC, and promotes turnout among younger voters.
After the voice of Harris asks "Why are so many powerful people trying to make it so difficult for us to vote?" Swift's politically active tune from her Netflix documentary kicks in. Democratic voters cry after Trump's election, #MeToo protesters march, and then Republican men flash across the screen as Swift sings "their hands are stained with red." "They aren't gonna help us, too busy helping themselves," Swift continues over images of Amy Coney Barrett, burning wildfires, and closed businesses. But then Swift breaks into a triumphant chorus as children march for Black lives, gun control, and the United States Postal Service.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"They've marched for years on these issues," Swalwell explained to CNN. "The song calls on people to run, and essentially run to the polls." The ad comes at the end of Swift's most activist year yet, after her Netflix documentary revealed how she fought her management tam to raise her political voice.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
September 1 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Monday’s political cartoons include Labor Day picnic, branding strategy, and more
-
What is Tony Blair's plan for Gaza?
Today's Big Question Former PM has reportedly been putting together a post-war strategy 'for the past several months'
-
When does autumn begin?
The Explainer The UK is experiencing a 'false autumn', as climate change shifts seasonal weather patterns
-
The most notable records Taylor Swift has broken
In Depth The pop star has cemented herself as one of the century's most popular artists
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclub
Speed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's ills
Speed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, Stallone
Speed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's view
Speed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle