Stevie Nicks, rock’s ethereal songstress, is shining her light on real-world issues with her first new single in years.
“The Lighthouse,” out Friday, is a rousing feminist anthem aimed at galvanizing voters with lyrics like “get mad” and “they’ll take your power unless you stand up.”
In the accompanying music video, Nicks unfurls her distinctive voice from the top of a lighthouse – symbolizing a path forward in darkness – as footage of people at rallies holding signs like “if it’s not your body, it’s not your decision” and “real men are feminists» starts rolling.
Nicks started writing the song after Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022.
“It seemed like overnight people were saying, ‘What can we, as a collective force, do about this?’ For me, it was to write a song,” Nicks said in a news release. “It took a while because I was on the road. Then early one morning I was watching the news on TV and a certain newscaster said something that felt like she was talking to me, explaining what the loss of Roe v. Wade would come to mean. I wrote the song the next morning and recorded it that night.
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«That was September 6, 2022. I have been working on it ever since. I have often said to myself, ‘This may be the most important thing I ever do. To stand up for the women of the United States and their daughters and granddaughters – and the men that love them.’ This is an anthem.”
While Nicks hasn’t explicitly endorsed either candidate in the upcoming presidential election, she implied she’s joining her longtime friend Taylor Swift in voting for Kamala Harris.
In an Instagram post Sept. 11, Nicks wrote, “As my friend @taylorswift so eloquently stated, now is the time to research and choose the candidate that speaks to you and your beliefs. Only 54 days left until the election. Make sure you are registered to vote! Your vote in this election may be one of the most important things you ever do.” She signed her post, in which she cuddled a dog, as a «Childless Dog Lady.»
This isn’t the first time the Grammy-winning two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee has released a political song. She shared a poem-turned-song, “Get It Back,” in 2022 during the midterm elections and a single, “Show Them The Way,” during the 2020 election cycle.
Nicks is set to perform on “Saturday Night Live” as the musical guest Oct. 12, when Ariana Grande hosts. She has concerts scheduled for Sept. 28 at Hersheypark Stadium in Pennsylvania and with Billy Joel at Ford Field in Detroit March 29.
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