Village People Announce Inauguration Performance
Village People have shared their thoughts regarding their upcoming performance at Donald Trump’s inauguration as President of the United States – check out their statement below.
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Details About the Performance
On January 13, the Village People revealed they will take the stage at Trump’s inauguration in Washington, DC on January 20, 2025. Grammy-winning artist Carrie Underwood will also be part of the ceremony.
As reported by Associated Press, other performers confirmed for the inauguration include Trump’s favored country singer Lee Greenwood and opera tenor Christopher Macchio.
In announcing their role in the inauguration, Village People shared their decision on Facebook. They stated: “Today we are announcing that THE VILLAGE PEOPLE have accepted an invitation from President-elect Trump’s campaign to participate in inauguration activities, including at least one event with President-elect Trump. We know some of you won’t like it, but we believe music should be performed without regard for politics.”
They continued, suggesting a preference for Kamala Harris as president: “Our song ‘YMCA’ is a global anthem that we hope will help unite the country after a tumultuous and divided campaign in which our preferred candidate lost. Therefore, we believe it is time to unite the country through music, which is why VILLAGE PEOPLE will be performing at various events for Donald Trump’s inauguration in 2025.”
TO THE VILLAGE PEOPLE FANS AND THE MEDIA. Today we announce that VILLAGE PEOPLE has accepted an invitation from…
Author: Village People on Monday, January 13, 2025
Background on Village People’s Songs
In the lead-up to Trump’s inauguration, he consistently played two Village People songs during his campaigns in 2020 and last year: “Macho Man” and “YMCA.” Despite Trump’s initial request not to play “YMCA” in 2020 after he allegedly threatened to shoot Black Lives Matter protesters in Minneapolis, Village People lead singer Victor Willis changed his stance in 2021.
At that time, Willis indicated that the song “has greatly benefited from the President-elect’s use,” mentioning its resurgence on the Billboard charts at No. 1. “The financial benefits have been enormous, and it is estimated that the YMCA has raised several million dollars since then,” Willis explained. “So I’m glad I allowed the president-elect to continue using the YMCA.” He also expressed gratitude for using his song.
Willis has consistently rejected the notion that “YMCA” is a gay anthem. Last December, he commented: “As I have said many times in the past, this is a false assumption based on the fact that my writing partner was gay, and some (not all) of the villagers were gay, and that the first Village People album was completely dedicated to gay life.”
Trump’s 2017 inauguration included performances by the Rockettes, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and America’s Got Talent singer Jackie Evancho. Aretha Franklin performed at Obama’s first inauguration in 2009, and Beyoncé and Kelly Clarkson sang at his second inauguration in 2013.
https://www.nme.com/news/music/village-people-address-upcoming-performance-at-donald-trumps-inauguration-we-know-this-wont-make-some-of-you-happy-3828573?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=village-people-address-upcoming-performance-at-donald-trumps-inauguration-we-know-this-wont-make-some-of-you-happy
