Protest is going viral on TikTok episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 14, 2026 · 19 MIN

Protest is going viral on TikTok

from It's Been a Minute

There's a new sound of protest going viral on TikTok. What is being said, and how much impact could it have?We're just two weeks into January, but this year has already been eventful. There's Trump's incursion into Venezuela, and last week’s ICE shooting in Minneapolis, which led to protests all across the country over the weekend. And these protests on the street are connected to some of the music we’re hearing online: artists like Jensen McRae and Jesse Welles are responding to current events with their own musical takes on the news with bitesize songs on TikTok. But why is folk protest music having revival, and who is listening? Brittany sits down with NPR Music reporter Isabella Gomez Sarmiento to get into why this folk-y protest music hasn’t been popular in decades – and why it’s going viral now. You can read Isabella's story here.Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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Protest is going viral on TikTok

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This episode was published on January 14, 2026.

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There's a new sound of protest going viral on TikTok. What is being said, and how much impact could it have?We're just two weeks into January, but this year has already been eventful. There's Trump's incursion into Venezuela, and last week’s ICE...

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