Kamala Harris gains ground on Trump in the country music scene

The U.S. election has caused a schism in the Cyrus family. Miley Cyrus — a staunch progressive — has confirmed that she supports Kamala Harris and has just authorized the Democratic presidential candidate to use her hit song Party in the USA. Her father, Billy Ray Cyrus — a Democratic voter in his youth — is now supporting Donald Trump. Both candidates are seeking endorsements from the music world, but it is an uneven contest. Trump is recruiting followers from alternative scenes like trap, electronic indie, and gangsta rap, but the major stars, including Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, are backing Harris.

The exception, as usual, is the country music scene. Country music has a long-standing tradition of ideological conservatism, tracing back to pioneers like Hank Williams and giving rise to reactionary songs such as Merle Haggard’s Okie from Muskogee and Clint Black’s Iraq and Roll. According to Billboard editor Melinda Newman: “Country music and conservative politics have been hand in hand for more than 50 years. As Richard Nixon ran for re-election in 1972, he began peeling away working and middle class Southern whites, who had previously voted Democratic.”

What’s more, while a significant 38% of Americans identify as fans of country music, its primary sociological influence remains among the white working and middle classes in the predominantly Republican southern states. So it comes as no surprise that Trump is receiving active support from familiar figures like 47-year-old Georgian Jason Aldean, with whom he frequently plays golf at his Mar-a-Lago mansion, as well as Travis Tritt and Brian Kelley.

On the other side of the ring, there have always been progressive country stars, including the late Kris Kristofferson, Loretta Lynn, Emmylou Harris, and Dolly Parton, who is Miley Cyrus’ godmother. However, most of them have chosen to maintain a low profile during elections to avoid alienating their fans. The Dallas-based country-pop band Dixie Chicks broke this unwritten rule in 2003 by publicly criticizing George W. Bush’s foreign policy just days before the invasion of Iraq, during a time of intense patriotic fervor. As a result, they faced significant backlash and boycotts.

What’s new this year is that part of the progressive country scene is coming out of the closet, boldly exposing itself to potential rejection from its natural audience. Harris not only has the support of Nashville deserters like Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus, but also a handful of proud dissidents who no longer care about the backlash they may face when performing in Arkansas or Tennessee. This includes Jason Isbell, who performed last August at the Democratic Convention in Chicago, and Maren Morris, who publicly expressed her support for the vice president in an interview with USA Today. Additionally, Mickey Guyton, an African-American country star, was also present at the Chicago convention alongside the three surviving members of the Dixie Chicks, who have rebranded themselves as The Chicks. Harris has successfully made her mark in Nashville.

For those who expected him to lean toward the left, the emerging star Zach Bryan has been a source of disappointment. Recently, the musician tweeted that Kanye West is better than Taylor Swift. In the polarized context of the current campaign, many interpreted Bryan’s comment as a coded endorsement of Trump, given Kanye’s reputation as a prominent supporter of the Republican Party. He later deleted the tweet, made his profile private, and claimed he was drunk when he wrote it. The question now remains: in the schism within the Cyrus family, is he siding with Miley or Billy Ray?

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