From Beyoncé to Taylor Swift: Gen Z says celeb endorsements in 2024 presidential race matter

Editor’s note: This story is part of an ongoing journalistic initiative to examine the political thinking of Staten Island’s Gen Z population ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Gen Z is made up of those born between 1997 and 2012 and is presently the youngest generation with the power to vote in the United States.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — When celebrities voice their political stances, should we listen?

High-profile people inserting themselves into the political realm is nothing new. From Taylor Swift’s post about a Tennessee midterm election to Lana Del Rey using witchcraft on former President Donald Trump, celebrities have been far from discreet about their politics.

When President Joe Biden announced the end of his re-election bid, many celebrities were quick to show their support for Vice President Kamala Harris’ potential candidacy, demonstrating yet another wave of celebrity political advocacy.

“We all have our celebrities that we look up to,” Nicholas Santo, a 19-year-old college student from Arden Heights, said. “I think celebrities being involved in politics is what’s so needed, because they have such a large fan base to help spread their message.”

Many Gen-Zers use social media as their main source of news and information, so when British singer Charlie XCX declared Harris a “brat” — but in a good way — young voters were watching.

Anyone scrolling through TikTok or Instagram Reels can see a feed flooded with Harris content. With celebrities endorsing her as a potential presidential candidate, social media users have created light-hearted content meshing Harris with popular songs and trends.

“You know what made me inclined to vote? Someone editing Kamala Harris’ coconut tree speech into a Kesha song,” a 20-year-old from Tottenville said.

Not only have social-media feens created and curated memes, videos and more “brat”-ifying Harris, but the vice-president has embraced this new persona and even changed her official X campaign theme to the vibrant green hue of the “Brat” album.

Her campaign team is actively producing its own Gen-Z-tailored content — and it’s working.

“Because of everything that’s happening, everyone’s at least mentioning it in passing,” Jason Chiu, an 18-year-old from Richmond Valley, said about the political creations all over social media platforms.

On Friday, the Harris campaign announced that it had raised $310 million in the month of July, more than double the $138.7 million raised by the campaign of Republican former President Donald Trump during the same time period, according to an Associated Press report.

Who else is backing Harris?

Although she isn’t technically a candidate, this hasn’t stopped several high-profile stars from showing their support for her presidency in one way or another.

For instance, Beyonce gave Harris permission to use her song “Freedom” as the entrance anthem to Harris’ campaign rallies.

“Beyoncé, who is known for maintaining strict clearance guidelines around her music, gave quick approval to Harris’ campaign when they sought permission to use ‘Freedom’ on Monday — just hours before she walked out to the song,” CNN reported.

According to The Cut, here is a list of other celebrities who were quick to jump on the Kamala bandwagon:

Viola Davis, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jamie Lee Curtis, John Legend, Cardi B, Kerry Washington, Spike Lee, Shonda Rhimes, Edward Enninful, Robin Thede, Yvette Nicole Brown, Kathy Griffin, Jon Cryer, Wendy Osefo, Tina Knowles, George Clooney and Ariana Grande.

Who’s backing Trump?

Trump has also seen his fair share of celebrity endorsements leading up to the 2024 elections.

Model, author and television personality Amber Rose spoke at the Republican National Convention (RNC), sharing her experiences as a mother and former Trump skeptic.

“Whether we’re Republicans, Democrats, conservatives or liberals, we all want a better country for our children. But I’m here tonight to tell you, no matter your political background, that the best chance we have to give our babies a better life is to elect Donald Trump president of the United States.”

She went on to describe Trump as “kind and generous, and funny as hell.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Trump’s line-up of celebrity-supporters also includes, Kid Rock, Dana White, Lily Wayne and Roseanne Barr.

Gen-Z’s verdict on political-pop culture overlap

Even though celebrity political intervention is essentially inevitable, not everyone feels like it’s necessary.

“I try not to listen to anything that celebrities tell me. I feel like it’s silly to listen to somebody that lives in a gated community, has personal bodyguards, rich as hell, doesn’t have to worry about anything,” Michael Roces, a 24-year-old Princes Bay resident said.

Emma Brier, a 17-year-old from Rossville who will be old enough to vote by November, said she considers the advice of her favorite pop star: Taylor Swift.

Although Swift has made no official endorsements for the upcoming presidential election, she has become known for her political advocacy over the years.

“She doesn’t tell me who to vote for, but she inspires me to vote,” Brier said. “She makes me feel like my vote matters.”

Santo — who specifically noted that he looks to Washington, Davis and Rhimes for their political takes — expects celebrities to express their views, as he believes it is important for everyone to take a stand.

“It makes me respect the candidate, but also the celebrity, because they’re voicing their opinion even though they know that they can face backlash. But they’re still showing their support and showing that you have a voice, that you should use your voice, as long as you’re not using it to hurt anyone,” he said.