It’s a big day for musicians kicking goals outside of their typical expertise, with Eminem set to appear at a Democratic presidential campaign event, and NYSYC’s Joey Fatone performing Backstreet Boys tracks on Broadway.
On the latter front, the “Lose Yourself” rapper will take to the stage at a rally for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris on Oct. 22 in his home state (and also the swing state) of Michigan. According to reports, Eminem won’t perform at the rally (there must be a cap on curse words), but will talk briefly about the presidential race and introduce a speech by former president Barack Obama.
Eminem joins a long line of musicians who have thrown their support behind the vice president, with Olivia Rodrigo, Barbra Striesand, Lizzo, Ariana Grande, and Megan Thee Stallion among those to raise their voices and amp up their mics for the Harris-Walz ticket. Am I missing anyone?
Oh yeah, a somewhat niche and relatively unknown singer named Taylor Swift (I think that’s how it’s spelled?) has also endorsed Harris, though not without much criticism and bizarre commentary from her opponent. It marks the most recent instance of Eminem spitting bars in the name of Democrats, with the rapper likewise supporting Harris as part of Joe Biden’s ticket in 2020.
Eminem has also made no secret of his disdain for Republican nominee Donald Trump, labelling him ina 2017 freestyle called “The Storm” at the BET Awards. Oh, he also accused Trump of “brainwashing” his supporters, and denounced “how divisive his language is.” I guess we can count Eminem with Rufus Wainwright in terms of musicians who’ve understandably distanced themselves from Trump, no matter how much the former president might relate to spaghetti (or McDonald’s) stains on his sweater.
In an interesting crossover, Obama cited “Lose Yourself” as a key hype-up anthem that he would play while preparing for events during his own 2008 presidential run, and if I trust any politician’s music tastes (not the one who stans Kid Rock), it’s the guy whose summer playlist mentions everyone from SZA to Billie Eilish and Charli XCX. Barack IS brat, after all.
In another case of a musician reaching across the aisle, NSYNC alum Fatone will perform tracks by rival Backstreet Boys as part of the Broadway jukebox musical, & Juliet. Acting as a boy band double agent, the revisionist take on the Shakespeare classic Romeo & Juliet will see Fatone belt-out tracks by pop music producer Max Martin, including Backstreet Boys classics like “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).”
Fatone will also perform songs by his own band, like “It’s Gonna Be Me,” so it’s not a complete betrayal, but who can blame the man for wanting to return to Broadway for the first time in two decades? Fatone’s & Juliet Broadway run kicks off in late-January, 2025, and spans nine weeks through to mid-March.
“I know I’ll even be singing a couple of Backstreet Boys songs,” Fatone said of the show in a press statement. “Even though my loyalty remains with NSYNC, they still have bangers.” Call it a shining example of boy band bipartisanship! In that same spirit, and since they’re sharing a headline, I think we should petition for Eminem to join Fatone on his Broadway run, spaghetti stains and all!