The disco classic “YMCA” has experienced a massive surge in popularity in the months leading up to and following the election, after it became a campaign staple for Donald Trump.
During his successful campaign to reclaim the White House, the president-elect played the famous 1978 gay anthem at almost every event, frequently busting out his signature moves.
Last.fm data analyzed by NBC News revealed that YMCA listenership had more than tripled, increasing by approximately 366 percent between late May and November 5.
The same data revealed that, despite a drop in interest, the song was still up 183 percent from late May, thanks to the apparent “Trump effect.”
Furthermore, Google Trends revealed that the song has experienced a true renaissance, with interest in the song reaching its highest point in two decades.
According to NBC, there were more searches for the song this month than at any other time in the search engine’s history.
There was also an increase in 2020, when Trump first mentioned it at the conclusion of his rallies. “Do you know what gets them rocking? “YMCA,” he said on a podcast in 2022. “YMCA gets people up and it gets them moving.”
“YMCA” also re-entered the top 15 songs on the Billboard dance/electronic sales chart at the end of October, eventually rising to the top spot during the week of November 17.
Following the president-elect’s victory, his dance moves became popular, with professional athletes in the NFL, NBA, and MLS mimicking them in celebration.
The Village People’s song is purportedly about the nonprofit Young Men’s Christian Association and the community centers it operates in many cities across the United States.
The song’s lyrics contain numerous double entendres about gay male life, which explains its popularity among the LGBTQ+ community.
However, Felipe Rose, a Village People member, told HuffPost in 2014 that the track was not intentionally gay.
However, the band members are pleased with their renewed success. Victor Willis, the lead singer and co-writer of “YMCA,” reportedly high-fived his wife after learning that the song had returned to the top of the charts.
In February 2020, the band allowed the Trump campaign to use their music, but in June, they asked him not to play it. According to Willis, the campaign declined, claiming that it had obtained a political entity license that allowed them to use it.
Willis told NBC News that Trump’s initial use of the song was a “nuisance.” “I was worried he’d get tired of the song. “But that never happened,” he stated.