The 2024 Democratic National Convention, which ended last night, brought out a bevy of Hollywood A-listers. Oprah Winfrey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Spike Lee, Kerry Washington and other popular entertainers made appearances during the four-day political event in Chicago.
And the musical guests were just as notable, leaving many social media users to jokingly describe the DNC as the Rolling Loud for politicians. Compared to last month’s Republican National Convention — which was headlined by folks like influencer Amber Rose, singer Kid Rock and Hulk Hogan — the DNC certainly didn’t disappoint in delivering the heavy-hitters.
The first day of the convention opened with performances from country singer Mickey Guyton and Alabama native Jason Isbell. Six-time Grammy winner James Taylor was supposed to perform during the opening night, but his appearance was scrapped due to scheduling delays.
On day two, Atlanta rapper and producer Lil Jon represented Georgia during the DNC roll call, performing the EDM hit “Turn Down for What” and interpolating bits of his crunk classic “Get Low.” His surprise appearance went viral on social media, reminding everyone that “the South got something to say.” Soul legend Patti LaBelle and Chicago rapper Common also performed Tuesday night.
The rest of the convention featured sets from Maren Morris and John Legend, who delivered a Prince tribute with Shelia E. Stevie Wonder also performed his 1972 classic “Higher Ground.” Before his set, Wonder took a moment to address the crowd about the significance of the election, proving that the music icon is always primed for political motivation.
“As we stand between history’s pain and tomorrow’s promises, we must choose courage over complacency,” he shared. “We must keep on keepin’ on until we truly are a united people of these United States. And then we will reach our high ground.”
For the final night, country band The Chicks performed the national anthem. Pink ditched her usual acrobatics for a more stripped-down set, which featured her 13-year-old daughter Willow. The pair delivered an acoustic rendition of Pink’s 2017 single “What About Us.” Their performance preceded Vice President Kamala Harris’ historic acceptance speech as the Democratic presidential nominee.
Last month’s RNC in Milwaukee didn’t nearly have as much star power. Case in point? Legendary country singer Lee Greenwood appeared and performed several times. Country singer Chris Janson was featured on the opening day of the convention. Savannah Chrisley, the daughter of reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, spoke on the second night of the RNC, while country singer-songwriter Brian Kelley, formerly of Florida Georgia Line, took the stage on night three. Former wrestler Hulk Hogan spoke and Kid Rock was the entertainer on the closing night of the convention, performing before former President Donald Trump‘s speech.
Though they didn’t take the stage during the convention, some well known names were spotted in the audience, including Macon-born country singer Jason Aldean and his wife Brittany and actor and comedian Russell Brand. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Aldean was there in part to perform at a private party thrown by the RNC host committee following the close of the convention.
Michael Lewis, a marketing professor at Emory University, said the stark difference in entertainment at both conferences is an ongoing trend, as big-name musicians have been liberal leaning for decades.
“In the big picture, there are two separate tribes with different entertainers,” Lewis said. “There is very little to unify Americans on that front.”
But does the frequent appearance of stars at either convention translate into votes? Not really, Lewis said.
“Obviously, bringing in Pink and the Chicks to the DNC is to raise excitement for those at the convention and watching it on TV, but we’re talking real marginal effects in terms of what happens in November,” he added.
Charles Bullock, a University of Georgia political science professor, agrees that the convention star power probably won’t change many minds.
“It wouldn’t matter who all the stars were who endorsed Kamala Harris,” he said. “If you’re a MAGA person, it isn’t going to matter at all.”
But Bullock noted that, at the very least, the star power could help engage those who are not as politically involved. He said that can be especially effective in a swing state like Georgia.
“It may capture the attention of a low-propensity voter or someone who’s an independent, so what you’re hoping is if this personality endorses your candidate then those who may be guided by that personality might say, ‘Ok, that endorsement is good enough for me.’ … We’re talking about people who aren’t terribly interested in politics.”
Taylor Swift could be the only star whose influence could shape presidential election, Lee said. Swift has yet to fully endorse a candidate this year (despite false memes declaring her support for Trump). Lee mentioned that Swift’s broad appeal crosses party lines.
Throughout the week, rumors about a possible DNC appearance from the pop star inundated social media. Other rumors about an equally major singer — Beyoncé ― sent fans into a frenzy Wednesday night. TMZ reported that she’d headline the final night only for the singer’s rep to debunk the claim to The Hollywood Reporter shortly after.
“To quote the great Beyoncé: We gotta lay our cards down, down, down,” TMZ posted on social media, acknowledging the error. “We got this one wrong.”
AJC reporter Rodney Ho contributed to this story
