Election 2020: the songs that made America dance in the streets this weekend

Every party needs music. When Joe Biden was declared president-elect, residents of major cities across the country flooded the streets to celebrate. Americans on the left turned to songs that acted as a happy, unifying sound: both a sigh of relief and a cry of victory. NSYNC’s 20-year-old hit “Bye, Bye, Bye” returned to the top 200 songs on the US iTunes charts. According to Billboard, “Celebration” by Kool & the Gang and “The Best” by Tina Turner also saw a peak in feeds. Miley Cyrus’ 2009 banger, “Party in the USA,” re-entered the iTunes top 200 and ranked on Spotify at No. 93 – 11 years to the day after hitting No. 1 (It also fits Note that “Party in the USA” was announced as “the official funeral song of Osama Bin Laden” in 2011.)

None of these party tracks are as well known as YG and the late Nipsey Hussle’s 2016 single “FDT” (suffice to say, DT stands for Donald Trump). According to Billboard, the song’s polling day streams tripled and then quadrupled, throwing it into the Top 10 iTunes by the time the race was called four days later.

“FDT” was a fan favorite before, during and after the 2016 election. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, YG said it felt good to speak on the track. “We spoke up because no one else was speaking. That’s what rap is made for. Too many rappers keep saying [stuff] without substance. I told Nip that if we do this together we have to talk about Trump and go straight to the streets, ”he said.

The songs anti-Trump Americans have chosen to celebrate are classics on the nose – easy, precise titles that describe the feeling of sudden joy and solidarity in the wake of Biden’s victory. The lyrics to “Party in the USA” call for audience participation, an excited nod of the head that says yes, it’s is a party. “FDT” demands that listeners sing in unison and curse the name of the (now incumbent) President of the United States.

In Pennsylvania, the state that put Biden above the 270 electoral votes he needed to win, the people of Philadelphia partied long into the night. Songs like “Dreams and Nightmares” from 2012 by Meek Mill, a track that served the city well in its 2018 Super Bowl victory has resurfaced. Many, including John Legend, have paid homage to “Georgia on My Mind,” for the state that appears to be turning blue and aiding Biden on his path to victory.

Other classics like “Here Comes the Sun”, “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” and “Hit the Road, Jack” were also popular choices. While President Trump doesn’t seem interested in going out without a fight, any song with lyrics that could apply to Trump leaving was fair game, and those who are happy to see him go dancing and singing in the streets.