In the heat of another polarized election cycle, amid social upheaval and a digital culture awash in misinformation, a growing number of musicians are reclaiming their art as a tool for political resistance and civic clarity. While social media continues to serve as a breeding ground for performative outrage and clickbait activism, these artists are choosing to speak through melody—and their messages are resonating with audiences hungry for something more grounded than a trending hashtag.
Dutch musician and music therapist Harry Kappen is one such voice rising from the independent music scene. His latest single, “Break These Chains,” released on April 10, is a stark, guitar-driven commentary on the erosion of truth in the modern era. “You may not justify what's wrong / Repeating lies don't count,” Kappen sings, a pointed line that lands like a gavel. The song confronts everything from disinformation and blind ideology to the emotional cost of living in a society where facts are negotiable and compassion increasingly rare.
Kappen's background is critical to understanding his artistic perspective. By day, he works as a music therapist in youth care, helping vulnerable adolescents cope with trauma and instability. His work informs his songwriting, which he describes as a response to real human struggles. “Music can still be a mirror to society,” he said in a recent interview. “But more importantly, it can be a compass.”
Kappen joins a modern chorus of artists—both mainstream and independent—who are unafraid to use their platforms to challenge political norms and social decay.
In March 2024, Grammy-nominated artist Victoria Monét released “Safe,” a deeply personal song addressing gun violence and Black motherhood in America. With sparse production and a haunting vocal delivery, Monét doesn't sensationalize the issue—she humanizes it. The track became a rallying cry during student-led walkouts across the U.S.
Meanwhile, folk-punk icon Frank Turner used his 2024 album Undefeated to deliver scathing critiques of economic inequality and government complacency. The album's single, “Letters from the Unemployed,” reads like a dispatch from Britain's working-class struggle, layering bitter irony over acoustic chords and riotous drums.
Hip-hop collective EarthGang tackled environmental racism in their 2025 single “Black Soil,” highlighting the disproportionate effects of pollution and climate neglect on communities of color. The song was released in collaboration with grassroots climate organizations and accompanied by a short documentary.
Even pop's upper echelon is getting involved. Global superstar Billie Eilish, known for her moody soundscapes and Gen-Z appeal, took direct aim at misinformation in her 2025 single “Louder Than Lies.” With its kaleidoscopic production and unsettling lyrics—“If fiction feeds the system / then silence is a crime”—Eilish draws a clear line between entertainment and complicity.
Unlike the protest songs of past generations, today's politically charged music isn't confined to folk or punk traditions. It's appearing across genres—from Afrobeats to indie electronica—and artists are backing up their lyrics with activism, fundraising efforts, and direct engagement with social movements.
For Harry Kappen, this isn't a trend—it's a necessity. His forthcoming album, Four, continues to explore the tension between personal responsibility and collective truth. “There are people who treat facts like accessories,” he says. “That's dangerous. Music has a duty to remind us what's real.”
As the world grows louder with competing narratives and the line between reality and spectacle blurs, the artist's role is shifting. No longer just observers, musicians like Kappen, Monét, and Turner are reclaiming their positions as watchdogs, storytellers, and truth-tellers.
Whether through a whispered lyric or a thunderous chorus, they're asking hard questions. And they're daring us to listen.
--Hank Sinclair
