What happened to protest songs? Try these 10 new albums

Do you think there’s no good protest music these days? So did I, until I started looking for it. (Admittedly, it’s hard to find. New research on October 23 showed rock has the most political lyrics at just 0.74% of songs, followed by country at 0.60% and rap/hip-hop at 0.58%). Every month, I listen to it all, then select the best that relates to that month’s political news. Here’s the round-up for October 2025.

1. CHEAP PERFUME – DON’T CARE, DIDN’T ASK 

Tesla CEO Elon Musk became the first person in history to be worth US$500 billion ($760 billion) on October 2. But, facing falling profits at his electric car firm due to a backlash against his right-wing politics, he urged shareholders to approve a US$1 trillion pay package for him by touting a plan to make artificial intelligence-assisted robots. As one media outlet put it: “The world’s richest man wants a raise.” The next day, US feminist punks Cheap Perfume released their new Musk-mocking album. “Woke mind virus,” they sing, using one of his phrases. “This Nazi billionaire’s got me feeling kinda violent.” The LP came as Musk was sued over Tesla’s car doors trapping their occupants in fatal crashes, and criticised for AI-generated porn produced by his firm xAI, which uses highly polluting gas turbines. On October 15, his fellow billionaire Sam Altman announced a competing AI porn feature on ChatGPT. LISTEN>>>

2. PRINCESS NOKIA – GIRLS 

Musk’s on-and-off buddy, US President Donald Trump, showed similar sexism when meeting Italian PM Georgia Meloni on October 13. “You won’t be offended if I say you’re beautiful, right?” the 79-year-old leered at the 48-year-old. “Because you are.” Three days earlier, rapper Princess Nokia, who hails from Trump’s home city of New York, released her new sexist-slaying album. On “Period Blood”, which references the LP’s artwork, she raps: “I’m contradicting religion and overthrowing men, I’m praying on the downfall of politicians and many men. I’m wishing death and disease on all the evil men, who contribute to what is wrong, I hope the earth will swallow them. I like period blood, I think it’s sexy. Diva cup in my guts, my bed sheets kinda messy.” Days later, an ex-heavy metal drummer became Japan’s first female Prime Minister, but reinforced her anti-feminist image by instantly sucking up to Trump. LISTEN>>>

3. BENEFITS – CONSTANT NOISE 

One feminist who has never sucked up to Trump is activist Greta Thunberg, who was captured by Israeli forces on October 3 as she sailed towards Gaza with a flotilla delivering aid to Palestinians. Days later, English band Benefits praised Thunberg as they discussed their new album with an interviewer who questioned whether their music deserved to be called punk. “For us, punk is not a style of music,” they said. “It’s a belief, it’s an attitude. The Prodigy are punk, Greta Thunberg is punk. Keir Starmer isn’t punk. Nigel Farage isn’t punk. Punk is a mindset.” Like Thunberg, they stand up for Palestinians on their new LP. “From Paris to Palestine, we witness the maddest crimes,” declares its track “Divide”. “Are we living in the saddest times? Analyse.” And on “Missiles”, they lament: “A man on the TV says missiles are firing and interrupts my social thread. Alerts on my phone, a few more hundred dead.” LISTEN>>>

4. DAVID ROVICS – SONGS FOR ZAHID

Despairing at that same body count was the new album from US protest singer David Rovics, released to streaming services on October 1. Speaking about its track “Now They Say It’s Time to Recognize Palestine”, he said: “The way the UK, Canada, and Australia have gone about declaring that they will finally join the 150 other nations who have already long ago recognised the existence of the state of Palestine is a textbook case of ‘too little, too late’. Recognise the state within the rubble, after the people have all been starved to death?” On October 7, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese released a statement on the second anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel, saying “it is our duty to do everything within our power to see a just and lasting peace in the Middle East”. Yet Australia was still sending military plane parts to Israel to be used in its genocide against Palestinians. LISTEN>>>

5. JOHN & YOKO / PLASTIC ONO BAND – POWER TO THE PEOPLE 

In his statement, Albanese also praised Trump’s “plan to end the conflict in Gaza”, which brought a temporary ceasefire on October 10. Three days later, Trump publicly boasted about how the US had armed Israel’s genocide as the media seriously debated whether he was eligible for the Nobel Peace Prize. Far more believable calls for peace are heard on the new live LP by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, released on October 10 in a box set celebrating their activism. It was recorded at Lennon’s last full concert before he was shot dead. A fortnight later, US rocker Bruce Springsteen also released an expanded box set for his 1982 album, Nebraska. Its previously unreleased track “Gun In Every Home” laments such violence. As he promoted its accompanying film, Springsteen praised the October 18 “No Kings” protests against Trump. The president responded with an AI video of him bombing protesters with brown liquid. LISTEN>>>

6. BAMBU – THEY’RE BURNING THE BOATS 

On the same day that Trump’s “peace plan” came into effect, US-Filipino rapper Bambu released his new album, which also notes how the US has armed Israel’s genocide. “Eight-year-old little boy from Gaza, playing soccer with his big brother,” he raps. “Every time his foot connected the ball he tried to hit the wall and yell ‘goal’ louder. Then one day, out of nowhere, they heard missiles whizzing all across the air. Loud as possible, recited prayers to calm himself down, don’t be scared. Before impact, he could see that on the missile head it read words, ‘Manufactured in the USA’, right before they both burned.” On the same day that Bambu’s album was released, US alt-rocker Grandson discussed his new LP, Inertia, whose track “Brainrot”, notes “the hell we’re living in” as taxpayers fund war. “Watch the world fall off its axis,” he screams. “Watch the bombs go off paid for by your taxes.” LISTEN>>>

7. SUN RUN – BRICK SIX 

As Palestinians were bombed out of their homes, more and more Australians were priced out of the home market as house prices hit new records across the nation on October 23. In Gadigal Land/Sydney, that meant a median house price of $1.75 million. Two days later, Gadigal Land band Sun Run played Parramatta Lanes festival in Western Sydney to promote their new album, Brick Six, which closes with a track blasting such ridiculous property prices. On “Five Weeks” they sample an auctioneer hollering: “At $9.1 million, selling, selling, sold your way, congratulations, a wonderful home, well done, thank you very much. To my underbidders, commiserations.” Two days before their gig, Western Sydney Sikh-Australian rapper L-Fresh The Lion released his new EP, which skewers such costs of living. “This is for families camped out on the streets,” he raps, “and cab drivers making extra fees on Uber Eats.” LISTEN>>> 

8. JAMES BROOK – YANDOIT 

Australian activist James Brook sings about how he has been priced out of cities on the song “I Live In The Country”, found on his new LP. “It’s just cheaper” to live there, he told the Paradigm Shift radio show October 3. Its presenter, protest singer Andy Paine, hosted Brook alongside Ecocopraxis – the new band of climate activists Violet CoCo and Brad Homewood – because all four were playing a gig that night alongside Rivermouth, the band fronted by former Greens councillor Jonathan Sriranganathan. On the show, Brook recalled his years touring the world as a punk musician and sailing its seas as the captain of a Sea Shepherd boat. “I seen the bushfires coming,” he sings on the LP’s closing song. “I seen the floods as well. We’re not gunna sit around while they drag us down to hell.” Days later, scientists linked Woodside’s Scarborough gas project in Western Australia to hundreds of deaths. LISTEN>>>

9. BAKER BOY – DJANDJAY 

West Australian Aboriginal musician Bumpy released her new LP – which addresses such losses of land, environment, people, culture and language – on October 3. “There’s a lot of grief that’s wrapped up with going back and trying to reconnect,” she said of returning to Noongar Boodja while making the album, “because you realise just how much more you’ve lost.” A week later, Northern Territory Aboriginal rapper Baker Boy released his new LP, which asserts that his people need “Thick Skin”. Discussing its song “War Cry”, he said: “I am worried about my family in remote communities where police officers carry weapons and are systemically racist every single day. I personally experience racism often.” Three days before its release, video emerged of a white Northern Territorian running over two Aboriginal men in his car, killing one. The driver, a nephew of the NT’s attorney-general, avoided jail. LISTEN>>>

10. KIALA & THE AFROBLASTER – ONE RACE (TRIBUTE TO HILAIRE PENDA) 

Worldwide anger at such injustices continued to boil over on October 12, as Madagascar’s president escaped protesters by fleeing the country. Rallies had begun a month earlier against government corruption, leading to clashes in which at least 22 people died. The fury mirrored recent backlashes against ruling elites in Morocco, Indonesia, Nepal and Kenya. Two days before the Madagascans sent their president fleeing, their fellow African Kiala released his new Afrobeat LP, which addresses such grift. “I’m talking to you Mr President,” he sings on its opening track, “Bad Situation”. “Africa better wake up. Please everybody listen. People are worried about this bad situation. Why you spending money on those things that do not have value? Governments all over the world, people have something to say to you. Mr President, open your ears, open your eyes, listen what they want to say to you.” LISTEN>>>

[Mat Ward has been writing for Green Left since 2009. He also wrote the book Real Talk: Aboriginal Rappers Talk About Their Music And Country and makes political music. This year, Mat Ward released his 11th album, In Our Blood.]

Want to get this column every month? Just email [email protected] and I’ll add you to my monthly email that includes a link to this column here at Green Left. Yes, I want to read this column every month.

Read about more political albums.

Stream our new “Best protest songs of 2025” playlist. This replaces the previous “Political albums” playlist, that was getting too big at more than 700 albums.