Village People lead singer Victor Willis announced Monday that the band has accepted an invitation from President-elect Donald Trump’s team to perform at some inauguration events, including at least one with Trump himself. .
“We know some people won’t be happy to hear this, but we believe music should be played without politics,” Willis wrote in a Facebook post. . “Our song YMCA is a global anthem that we hope will help unite the country after a chaotic and divisive election campaign in which our favored candidate lost.”
One of the events Village People will perform at is the inauguration eve, hosted by the conservative activist group Turning Point USA. Confirmed guests include Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, Donald Trump Jr., and Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, according to the event’s website.
The band’s announcement comes a month after Willis defended President Trump’s use of “YMCA” at his campaign rallies and denied the song was a “gay anthem.” The 1978 disco hit saw a spike in listeners in November after it appeared on the Trump campaign’s playlist, data shows.
“We believe that music is apolitical and YMCA is a song that can help unite the country. Therefore, we intend to participate in some establishment activities.” , Village People said in a statement emailed to NBC News.
President Trump’s transition team did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the announcement or whether the Village People will perform at this weekend’s official inaugural event.
Reaction to Monday’s announcement was mixed. Some Facebook commenters congratulated the band, while others expressed disappointment.
“Thank you for putting politics aside and letting everyone enjoy the music,” one commenter wrote.
Another wrote: “You should be ashamed.”
