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The recently resurfaced relationship between the Village People’s hit song “Y.M.C.A.” and Donald Trump has taken an intriguing turn, thanks to frontman Victor Willis. Once vocal about his disdain for the former president’s use of the song during his rallies, Willis is now embracing the unexpected publicity it brings.
Following a recent event in Pennsylvania where Trump danced for an impressive 40 minutes to various songs—including the iconic anthem—Willis acknowledged that while he initially lamented Trump’s frequent usage of “Y.M.C.A.,” he realizes that there’s little he can do to stop it. He pointed out that Trump is legally permitted to utilize the song because he applied for a political use license from Willis’s performing-rights organization, BMI.
In a surprising admission, Willis observed that Trump’s adoption of “Y.M.C.A.” had actually revitalized the song’s popularity, bumping it back up to No. 2 on Billboard’s digital chart due to the exposure it received from the rallies. Amidst this resurgence, Willis made it clear that he could potentially revoke Trump’s license to use the song, courtesy of his wife’s legal expertise, but he has chosen not to pursue that route, despite his lack of support for Trump’s presidential campaign.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Willis has faced a controversy involving Trump. Just last year, a cease-and-desist letter was sent to the Trump campaign after the former president hired a Village People cover band for a private event at Mar-a-Lago. The band had also expressed their discontent when Trump supporters played “Y.M.C.A.” at a rally during the 2020 elections, branding it as an unauthorized usage of their work.
Victor Willis, who has now adopted a more relaxed stance towards the situation, believes that pursuing legal action would be “stupid” and “plain hateful.” Despite fans urging him to take the former president to court, he has decided to let Trump continue using the song until the end of his presidential campaign. In an additional twist, Willis mentioned that he does not harbor a direct dislike for Trump, indicating his support for Kamala Harris in the upcoming election. He even welcomed Harris to utilize “Y.M.C.A.” in her campaign if she so wishes.
In summary, while Victor Willis once stood firmly against Donald Trump’s use of “Y.M.C.A.” at his rallies, he is now leveraging the publicity for the benefit of the song itself. As the political battle heats up and with Harris on the opposing side, it remains to be seen how the dynamics between music, politics, and public opinion will continue to unfold. Willis’s stance underscores a broader narrative in which the lines between art and politics are always in flux, generating both surprises and discussions along the way.