What Protest Music Means To Gen Z in 2025

As long as human civilisation persists, so will injustice and crime. Every generation has had its own method and approach towards resisting discrimination.

In medieval times, honorable men fought against discrimination through word of mouth, spreading messages through local pubs and bars, and creating graffiti on city walls, among other means. In the 1800s and 1900s, most of the movements against crime were made by people in the literature and arts. Poets, artists, and storytellers used to gather influence through their works of art, spreading their message to the general public through literature.

In the current generation, the generation of Gen Z, such a message is spread through music, also known as “Protest Music”. They combine the concurrent generational hype genres into a work of deep and meaningful lyricism. Through such lyricism, they spread the message of crime and discrimination, urging the common people to rise to the occasion. As long as human civilisation persists, so will injustice and crime. Every generation 

Protest Music In Detail

Protest music is not really a genre of music; rather, it can be categorized as a subgenre of all available music. For example, jazz music is generalized through its tune and background music that resembles a mash of blues, ragtime, and Northern European harmony.

Hip hop is distinctive due to its strong lyricism and upbeat music. However, protest music doesn’t have a generalized tune or style of lyricism that sets it apart from the rest; rather, protest music can be from any genre, such as jazz, hip-hop, or punk, but it must convey a strong message against the oppressed.

Boundless with its creativity and selection of choices among all the genres of music, there truly are no limits. 

Some Examples Of Gen Z Protest Music

Artists like Wadagliz, Kethan, and Sabi Wu have done terrific work on provoking corrupt corporations and unifying entire countries, races, and liberals to turn up their voices against discrimination. Some of the music these talented artists have composed to rebel against injustice is listed below:

• Anguka Nayo by Wadagliz

• Reject lo Bill by Sabi Wu

• Maandamano by Bien ft. Breeder LW

• Tumechoka by Kethan

• Offended 2 by Smallz Lethal ft. Nonini, Issa Sizzo & Willie Oeba

Some examples of US-based, appealing to Western culture protest songs are listed below:

• Alright by Kendrick Lamar

• FDT by YG & Nipsey Hussie

• I Can’t Breathe by H.E.R

• This Is America by Childish Gambino

• The Bigger Picture by Lil Baby

• Black Parade by Beyoncé

Impact Of Social Media Platforms On Protest Music 

During the Medieval era, it took decades to form a movement to raise a voice against discrimination. Messages needed to spread through the wind, to reach enough people and persuade their thoughts and feelings to form a resistance.

All while for the messenger and bearer of such messages to remain in cover from the unjust and corrupted powerhouses. So that the safety of both the messengers, the people following the movement, and the people organising the movement can all stay safe under an unjust rule.

Things turned better as time went on, and technology prevailed, and telecommunication became a norm for relaying messages. As unbiased newspaper publishers rose to the occasion to cover agendas and incidents that discriminate rights of the common folks.

Even then, movements took a significant time to create any impact. Telecommunication was indeed fast and accessible; however, it was still rather slow and steady compared to what we have now, “Social Media”!

Through social media, with the help of thousands of viral content creators, preaching any message and reaching over billions of people overnight is no longer impossible.

Any message or movement that requires immediate attention faces no obscurity or resistance from any opposing corrupt governing body as it did previously. Social media like Instagram, Facebook, Threads, X, and WhatsApp, all of them are easily accessible, free to use, protect the privacy of the users, and aren’t bound to any governing bodies around the world.

Hence, rebellious artists who strive for the betterment of our community are no longer bound to being oppressed when spreading a message. They can whole heartily preach, compose, and elevate protest music while remaining safe themselves and those who follow.

Impact Of Protest Music In World Politics And Agendas

Protest music has shaped many world agendas into a favorable outcome for the common people. From global warming to protesting against genocide, we shall discuss some of this music in Gen Z that managed to captivate the voices of millions through their art.

Movement Against Global Warming

As oil-extracting corporations burn through our atmosphere, ozone layer, our ocean, and our icebergs in the Atlantic, protest music has managed to raise a lot of awareness that multiple generations of government events and campaigns failed to do.

Such as “4 Degrees” by ANOHNI, a song that psychologically challenges its listeners to contemplate and confront how the global climate is being affected through them, and how it might affect in return to their future generations. 

And, “Kyoto Now” by Bad Religion, another protest song that blends punk and metal music to demand action from the US on global climate treaties.

Movement Against Racism

Racism has been a long-standing problem across the USA and several parts of the world alike. No matter how much it is addressed, the problem still remains to be solved. Hence, even in Gen Z, there are several protest songs against racism 

For example, “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar. A lively and hopeful rallying battle cry of a song that brings emphasis like never before on the “Black Lives Matter” movement.

And, “I Can’t Breathe” by H.E.R., composed after the murder of George Floyd, is a piece of artistic expression that cries out how justice has become more of a fight rather than a right in this unjust world.

Movement Against The Genocide In Palestine 

What Israel is doing in Palestine is horrifying, and no matter how you sugarcoat it, it is nothing less than a genocide. A mirror image or worse of what the Nazis did against the jews. Even though the world leaders are sitting ducks in their warm coats and cozy chairs, turning a blind eye, brave, rebellious artists do not.

“Hind’s Hall” by Macklemore is a composition that honors the six-year-old Hind Rajab killed in Gaza during the genocide. The artist lashes out at the discriminatory and backward favoritism of media narratives to cover up such an inhumanitarian act, saying, “You can ban TikTok, take us out of the algorithm / But it’s too late, we’ve seen the truth, we bear witness”.

Another such composition is “Gaza Is Calling” by Mustafa The Poet. Even though futile, this song still pleads for the world and its leaders to open their eyes and witness the horror for what it is. To put an end to this genocide, as no human deserves such treatment.

Final Words

We have extensively discussed what Protest Music is and its contribution to our generation in 2025. From fighting against discrimination to bringing words to the doors of world leaders, our brave artists can do it all.

However, they won’t be able to do it alone for long; they will need your support, the assistance of the common people. Social media algorithms have been known to deflect controversial issues to avoid them; however, if we all take initiative and challenge the algorithm, maybe we too are doing our part in these protests, despite not being a music composer.