Symbols, Songs and Social Movements: How Music Directly Contributes to the Momentum of Social Movements and Culture

National Football League, Kendrick Lamar’s Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show, 2025, screenshot from performance video and edited on Photoshop by Vy Tran.

“40 acres and a mule, this is bigger than the music”

Kendrick Lamar, Super Bowl Performance 2025

Despite performing on one of the world’s most commercial and censored stages, one might argue Kendrick Lamar stood head to head with the current political turbulence that came with Donald Trump’s re-election in 2025.  Utilising vivid symbolism such as Samuel. L. Jackson as ‘Uncle Sam’, who acted out live ‘critiques’ of Lamar’s performance as “too ghetto”, and a disjointed American flag during his pointed performance of ‘Humble’, Lamar cemented his critiques of the White-oriented society of America by directly referencing the unfulfilled promise of ‘40 acres and a mule’. This was meant to serve as property and land reparations for formerly enslaved African Americans to financially uplift themselves after the Civil War. 

Whilst Kendrick Lamar’s Grammy award winning diss track “Not Like Us” may have been the spotlight for many on the night, his performance and strong symbolism begs a bigger discussion on how music and artists contribute to the larger picture of social movements, political critique and activism.

How Does Music Contribute to Social Movements?

Political Context and Lyricism 
Music has, and will continue to be used as a platform for artists to candidly highlight issues in tense political climates by using imagery and lyricism. In the most direct way, artists have always used music as an uncensored form of political expression against oppression. A most notable example is the deep interconnection between Black political culture and African-American musical aesthetics. Reiland Rabaka in his book “Black Power Music!” discusses the political contributions of music in the Black Power movement and the Civil Rights movement during the 1960s. Protest songs and clear lyrical messaging in musical genres like soul, jazz, rhythm and blues, and rock & roll openly reaffirmed African Americans’ sentiments and critiques of America’s lack of democracy and equal rights.

Moreover, these critiques continued in the development of Hip-Hop in the late 20th century and early 2000s, where rappers and artists such as Dr Dre, Nas, Queen Latifah, Tupac and Ice Cube openly addressed police brutality and social injustice in songs such as “F— the Police”, “One Mic”, “Me Against the World” and more. Despite backlash from White audiences, these songs were liberating in their explicit nature, rebellious spirit and confronting lyrics about violence against the Black community.

Photo by Evgeniya  Kuzmina on Pexels.

The development of Black music centres Blackness, self-identity and reclamation of power, thus decolonising music and putting a spotlight on the community’s social and political interests. By clearly expressing a “Black is beautiful” and “Black and proud” message, music created by African-Americans during times of social change fortified the community’s need for recognition and respect. In its unapologetic and visceral nature, Black music defiantly cements Black culture and people in a society that aims to silence them. 

Symbolism and Songs
Whilst songs and lyrics have directly been used as part of activism, songs can also serve as emotional and motivational tools of empowerment for activists even if they are not inherently political or explicit in their messaging. The intersectionality of music fandom culture and activism is an unlikely, but very real crossover that can be seen in South Korea’s pro-democracy protests that called for the impeachment and insurrection of Prime Minister Yoon Suk Yeol. Many, especially young, South Koreans, took to the streets in uproar against Yoon’s sudden enactment of a martial law in early December 2024, which halted democratic mechanisms such as freedom of press, local legislature and political activity such as National Assembly proceedings in an alleged ‘self-coup’ to cover up his political scandals.  

Korea Broadcasting System World News,  K-pop Wave Protests With Unique Twist, 2024, screenshot from video.

So how does K-pop, the viral music pop culture phenomenon that involves idols dancing and singing, relate to anti-martial law protests? K-pop fans spearheaded protesting initiatives, swapping traditional pro-democracy candles with sturdy lightsticks to create coordinated choreography in the dark streets of Seoul to loudly and proudly demonstrate their calls for democracy and resistance against corruption. Moreover, popular K-pop songs such as G-Dragon’s “Crooked”, Aespa’s “Whiplash”, 2NE1’s “I Am the Best” and Girls’ Generation “Into the New World” were chanted and sung. These household songs served to create synchronised protest anthems, championing messages of unity and freedom in the face of adversity despite not containing any explicit political messaging. K-pop songs also utilise beats that energised protesters during the freezing cold, serving as important devices for motivation during Korea’s chilling winter. Thus, it is clear that non-political music can be symbolic in political unrest, by mobilising and invigorating protesters to stand their ground.

Unification and Harmonies 
Moreover, various genres of music have evolved and grown to unify marginalised communities in times of violence, death and oppression. For instance, genres such as house and disco were significant in constructing spaces such as the ballroom scene and underground Queer clubs during the AIDS crisis. The LGBTQ+ community faced astronomical numbers of death and illness during the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s and 90s, which was further exacerbated by homophobia and criminalisation from the heteronormative society that vilified a community that needed immediate help. 
With fears of violence, loss of loved ones, and fatigue from fighting for Queer rights, safe havens oriented around music and dance were crucial for the Queer community in reassuring themselves that there was an environment that allowed them to truly express themselves. Music stemming from Queer roots symbolise defiance against gender norms and violence. This fortification of belonging and selfhood is crucial in maintaining momentum of social change, as celebrating self-identities and found family through artistic expression can help uplift communities feeling demotivated from facing mammoth-like crises. 

 Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels.

What does this mean for us as consumers of music?

Whilst current international affairs and political literature has rightfully focused on the scholars, activists and politicians that propelled social movements, the political importance of artistic experimentation, theatre and music has been left undiscussed in formal academia. This is arguably due to a de-politicisation of music, where a popular sentiment is that music should be able to be enjoyed without the context of politics. 

However, music arguably cannot be completely isolated from the political sphere – in fact, it is historically and currently being used for activism and protest. Music is an all-encompassing art form that reflects the human condition and societal values – meaning it is more political than audiences want to believe. 

21st century artists like Kendrick Lamar have shown that even in the most commercial environments like the Super Bowl, music, art and theatrical performance have and will continue to be an integral tool in protesting against systemic mistreatment of marginalised groups in the modern world.