A very controversial and relevant single was released this past week by pop star Demi Lovato titled, “Commander in Chief.”
The internet exploded over this song, as some felt it honorably portrayed the concerns of our country under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump.
Others, however, believed that this was a slanderous, disrespectful single wrongfully belittling and aiming to weaken the respect surrounding our president right before the election.
And of course, the battle was divided, much like our country, between the political parties of the left and the right.
I, however, had the pleasure of stumbling upon this song in Apple Music’s “New Music Daily” playlist before hopping on the internet, so I had the opportunity to form my own opinion on the song.
When I first listened to this song, it reminded me of Pink’s “Dear Mr. President,” which was an open letter to the then president, George W. Bush, in 2006.
It is so important that celebrities such as Pink and Lovato use their voices to speak up for the individuals who may never be heard.
It made me proud as an American to see Lovato follow in Pink’s footsteps and advocate for change so close to a monumental election in November.
In her song, Lovato criticizes President Trump on issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic, political division and racial injustice plaguing our country under his presidency.
During an interview with CNN, Lovato explained her intentions, saying that she thought by writing a song for the world to hear, the president would be forced to answer the questions she had to the entire country, not just to her.
Within the lyrics, Lovato calls Trump a selfish leader and claims this trait is to blame for the unrest in our country. She also attacks his fabrication of stories and his lies.
She calls herself lucky in the song and says that she is advocating for those who have suffered enough and reiterates this by asking the president directly, “Haven’t they suffered enough?”
This line intrigued me most, because it seemed to me as though she was hinting toward his surrender in the presidential race in order to save the American people from further suffering under his rule.
Before the first chorus, Lovato also asks President Trump, “Do you get off on the pain?” which pained me to hear, because although many may dislike the president, I do not believe he, or any other presidential leader in our history, has revelled in the pain of their citizens.
After all, they become president because of their love for our country and to preserve our Constitution and the people under this Constitution.
It hurts me to see a country so divided that the character of our president is under constant criticism.
She ends her chorus with, “Commander in Chief, how does it feel to still be able to breathe?” which is an ironic line considering he has recently recovered from COVID-19. Here, she is attacking the way he has dealt with the pandemic in our country since its outbreak in March.
This could also be alluding to the death of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement to follow.
This song is controversial for many reasons, and it is hard for me to decide exactly how I feel about it, as I am proud of Lovato for standing up for those who have been silenced, but also weary of her intentions, and wondering if her political tune has been influenced by the fear spread by our media.