Kendrick image via Frazer Harrison/ Getty Images / NWA image via rockhall.com //

Sign of the times…

Protests and demonstrations continue to rage on across America and the world as people from all walks of life unite to protest the unfair treatment of black people and people of colour in society. And of course, music being the great reflection of the times, certain songs have seen a huge increase in streams as a result.

Specifically, it appears songs of protest are resonating more strongly now than ever before, with songs like N.W.A’s ‘F*ck The Police’, Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Alright’, as well as Childish Gambino’s ‘This Is America’ re-entering the Spotify and Apple Music top 200 streaming charts.

Rolling Stone also reported that ‘F*ck Tha Police’ saw a 272 percent increase in audio streams from May 27 to June 1, compared to the five days before George Floyds death in Minneapolis. Other songs that have seen a huge increase are Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Freedom’ and Michael Jackson’s ‘They Don’t Care About Us (Brazil Version)’.

Kendrick Lamar’s "Alright" earns its highest rank of all time on the global Spotify chart (#26 on June 2).

— chart data (@chartdata) June 3, 2020

Childish Gambino’s "This Is America" jumps 95 spots to #2 on the US Spotify chart. It earned over 1 million streams yesterday.

— chart data (@chartdata) June 3, 2020

It’s perfectly understandable, with music being a central principle to countless social justice moments throughout history. More specifically, Hip Hop was literally born in the civil unrest that permeated America in the late 70s and early 80s, with groups like Public Enemy, Wu-Tang Clan and N.W.A. fighting the power through their music (and in real life).

If you’re feeling just a bit inspired yourself, check out a couple of those music videos below to see how relevant their message still is in 2020.