K-Pop parody Fuels Voter Turnout, Celebrates New York mayor’s Election
NEW YORK – A viral TikTok parody set to Kadeheon’s song “Golden” has resonated globally, becoming an unlikely anthem forโฃ civic engagement and celebrating the recent election of Zoran Mamdani as mayor of New York City. The video, originally created โby the New โYork City Gay Men’s Chorus (@nycgmc), garnered nearly 1 million views and over 3,000 comments on TikTok,โ and sparked a waveโข of support for Mamdani, a Muslim and democratic socialist whose victory was seen as a landmark moment.
The parody quickly evolved beyond a simple political message, tapping into a broader desire for community and solidarity. Comments on TikTok included, โ”I’m not the only one who cries while scrolling through this app at 6 a.m.!! It’s so gorgeous and it’s even more touching to know that โMamdani won!” and “Mamdani’s anthem! I’m proud of New York, my first hometown!” One comment, receiving 912โ likes, stated, “we are all just longingโ for community.”
The chorus’s rendition also gained tractionโค on Instagram, where a โcall to action – “Please make this the official anthem for the 2026 midterm elections!” – received overโข 3,000 likes.Messagesโค of support poured in, including “This is the best America to me. Let your voices and freedom resonate.”
The video’s impact extended internationally, withโฃ comments from fans in South Korea (“I โsupport a democracy that can never be broken”) and Scotland (“I want to be in a safe, loving and inclusive space”), demonstrating K-content’s ability to connect democratic aspirations worldwide. Celebratory reactions included โ”New York, you โฃreally did it!” and “Sending love from Stockholm.”
The โsuccess of the parody highlights the power of K-pop and K-content to amplify political voices and foster a sense of global community, transforming a popular song into a symbol of political participation and โhope.
copyright ยฉ Star News, โฃunauthorizedโ reproduction and redistribution prohibited.