“Y.M.C.A.” singer and co-writer Victor Willis of the band Village People defended President-elect Donald Trump’s use of the music Monday on Facebook. Willis denied that the disco tune was supposed as a “homosexual anthem,” saying he “knew nothing concerning the Y being a hang around for gays” when he wrote the lyrics.
Willis stated he wrote “Y.M.C.A.” based mostly on what he knew concerning the worldwide youth group on the time, notably the YMCA branches within the city areas of San Francisco.
“When I say, ‘hang around with all of the boys’ that’s merely Seventies black slang for black guys hanging-out collectively for sports activities, playing or no matter. There’s nothing homosexual about that,” he stated of one of many music’s most notable strains.
Willis stated he has acquired greater than 1,000 complaints about the usage of “Y.M.C.A” at Trump’s marketing campaign rallies. Trump started dancing to the 1978 hit on the finish of his rallies in 2020 — and nonetheless does. Data suggests the staple marketing campaign second drove the music up the charts, with search curiosity and listenership hovering on Election Day.
Athletes started mimicking Trump’s dance to the disco traditional on the sector quickly after, elevating questions concerning the presence of politics in sports activities.
Willis stated he requested Trump to cease utilizing the music as a result of his use turned a “nuisance.” He stated Trump had obtained a political use license for the music from BMI, which enforces music efficiency rights, and due to this fact had each proper to proceed to make use of it — which he did.
As different artists started to oppose Trump’s use of their music in marketing campaign rallies, Willis stated he didn’t “have the center” to forestall him from utilizing “Y.M.C.A.” He stated he advised his spouse, who can also be the band’s supervisor, to tell BMI to not withdraw Trump’s licensing to make use of the music.
In flip, Willis stated, he made more cash off it.
“For instance, Y.M.C.A. was caught at #2 on the Billboard chart previous to the President Elect’s use. However, the music lastly made it to #1 on a Billboard chart after over 45 years (and held on to #1 for 2 weeks) because of the President Elect’s use,” Willis wrote within the publish, including that “the monetary advantages have been nice.”
Willis stated the “false assumption” that “Y.M.C.A.” is a homosexual anthem could also be as a result of a number of elements: His writing accomplice and a number of other members of the Village People have been homosexual, the band’s first album was “completely about homosexual life,” and “the YMCA was apparently getting used as some form of homosexual hangout.” Nonetheless, he confused that the music shouldn’t be a homosexual anthem and stated folks ought to get their “minds out of the gutter.”
Willis stated that he doesn’t thoughts that the music is taken into account a homosexual anthem however that the false assumptions are “damaging to the music.” Starting in January, he stated, his spouse will sue any information group that refers to “Y.M.C.A.” as a homosexual anthem.
Trump’s crew didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
