Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Luke Combs, politics and finding common ground through music

Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs

Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs perform onstage during the Grammy Awards on Feb. 4.

JC Olivera/WireImage

Nevins is co-publisher of The Fulcrum and co-founder and board chairman of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund.

In November, I wrote a piece for The Fulcrum about Luke Combs and the healing power of his music.

At the time I was watching the 2023 Country Music Awards and was struck by a song near the end of the ceremony, “Love Can Build a Bridge” – recorded by The Judds and released in 1990.

Yet the lyrics are as powerful today as they were when they were written over 30 years ago. As I listened to the lyrics, I thought that it must be a song about bridging the divide that is separating our nation.


Love can build a bridge
Between your heart and mine
Love can build a bridge
Don't you think it's time?
Don't you think it's time?

I would whisper love so loudly
Every heart could understand
That love and only love
Can join the tribes of man
I would give my heart's desire
So that you might see
The first step is to realize
That it all begins with you and me

But I was wrong. I was quite surprised to discover the song, co-written by Naomi Judd, was dedicated to her family and fans as a goodbye – she was chronically ill with hepatitis C and forced to retire. While the song was not at all political, its message about the importance of always standing together is a lesson that our nation surely must learn.

The Country Music Awards audience was obviously moved as Jelly Roll and K. Michelle sang with power and obvious emotion, and I couldn’t help but think that country music could serve as a powerful force to bridge our divides.

Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

And then on Feb. 4 I was struck once again by the healing power of Combs’ music. The 33-year-old white country singer joined Tracy Chapman, a 59-year-old gay and Black artist, at the Grammy Awards to sing “Fast Car,” her 1988 hit that won song of the year and returned to the top of the charts when Combs released his version last year.

Enjoy their “Fast Car” duet:

Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs Duetwww.youtube.com

Also enjoy Combs’ “The Great Divide”:

Luke Combs, Billy Strings - The Great Divide (Lyric Video)www.youtube.com

Read More

The role of theater in fostering constructive political dialogue
Tom McGrath/TCMcGPhotography

The role of theater in fostering constructive political dialogue

While it may seem like our country is more politically divided than ever, political division has been a recurring theme throughout American history.

The Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the struggle for civil rights, the protests surrounding the Vietnam War and similar events highlight how deeply divided opinions can become. Each of these periods had its own complex set of issues and emotions, and they shaped the nation in significant ways.

Keep ReadingShow less
Megan Thee Stallion in front of an audience waving "Kamala" signs

Singer Megan Thee Stallion performs at a Kamala Harris rally in Atlanta on July 30.

Julia Beverly/Getty Images

Do Charli XCX’s and Kid Rock’s endorsements make a difference? 19% of young people admit they might.

Longoria is an associate professor of political science at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

British pop star Charli XCX sent many young people’s group text chats and social media feeds wild when she endorsed Kamala Harris by playing off a term she coined in a song, and posted on X, that “kamala IS brat.”

While this endorsement, which happened in July 2024, likely means very little to most adults who don’t follow the singer’s music, it is considered high praise among young people. Harris’ campaign astutely embraced Charli XCX’s support – temporarily changing the background of its X profile to the same shade of lime green that Charlie XCX favors.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande

Sarah Morris/WireImage/Getty Images

Ariana Grande for Harris. Kanye West for Trump. Does it matter?

Nevins is co-publisher of The Fulcrum and co-founder and board chairman of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund.

It didn’t take long after Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race and Kamala Harris became the odds-on favorite to be the Democratic Party's nominee for the celebrity endorsements to follow. Within a few days, Ariana Grande, Cardi B and John Legend all publicly announced their support for Harris.

Of course, not all celebrities are Democrats and Donald Trump has his share of celebrity support as well — people like Ye (Kanye West), Jason Aldean and Kid Rock, who endorsed Trump in the past and are likely to endorse him once again.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jay-Z on stage

Hip-hop legend Jay-Z performs at a 2012 rally for President Barack Obama, who changed how politicans connect with pop culture icons.

Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images

From Rock the Vote to TikTok: Pop culture’s political influence

Johnson is a United Methodist pastor, the author of "Holding Up Your Corner: Talking About Race in Your Community" and program director for the Bridge Alliance, which houses The Fulcrum.

In 1992, a young Bill Clinton tried to connect with Generation X by joking around and soulfully playing the sax on “The Arsenio Hall Show.” It was a game-changer that forever shifted how presidential candidates court younger voters.

Nowadays, it's not about late-night talk shows but about getting attention on social media platforms like TikTok. The relationship between pop culture and politics has evolved with each generation, keeping pace with the changing times and new technologies. It's crucial to understand this evolution and what it means for how future generations will engage with politics.

Keep ReadingShow less