At the Grammys on February 12, 2017, a considerable amount of celebrities wore questionable outfits, and the singer Joy Villa was no exception. However, what made her dress more notable was that it featured President Trump’s slogan from his presidential campaign: “Make America Great Again.” She has faced criticism for being too political, but she is not making a huge political statement by just showing her support for Trump. She is not trying to use her fame to change a fan’s decision on who to vote for since he is already president. Villa is not necessarily showing her support for Trump, but for America.

Villa has been called out for showing her political beliefs all over the internet, but especially on Twitter. According to New York Daily News, users have asked Villa how she can support a man who promotes so much hatred, and the news article even referred to her dress as a “major political statement.” However, this is the complete opposite of what Villa says she was trying to accomplish by wearing this dress. According to Fox News, Villa said, “There was a lot of controversy around the president and a lot of hate honestly, and I wanted to change the narrative. I wanted in some small way to just show support and unity. It’s not about who you voted for or what you believe, it’s more about love and unifying. As the United States of America for the world they look at us and if we’re divided, it doesn’t paint a good picture. I wanted this dress to be a beacon of hope, for love, for support and for making a decision to go against the grain. It was a statement of love above all.”

There were other artists who chose to make political statements at the 2017 Grammys, which might cause some to wonder what makes Villa’s outfit different. For example, according to Vanity Fair and The Hill, singer Katy Perry’s performance had a hidden political message. It is no secret that Perry was a Hillary Clinton supporter during the 2016 presidential election. Her white pantsuit that she wore was supposedly a tribute to the many pantsuits worn by Clinton, and her armband that said “persist” was to show support for Senator Elizabeth Warren. Also, the fence on the stage she performed on is said to represent President Trump’s proposed wall. At the end of her performance, the Constitution was projected onto the screen. Her actions were just as political as Villa’s, but Perry’s seemed more dramatic. However, there is one major difference between them: Villa’s candidate won while Perry’s did not. Since Perry’s candidate lost the election, her performance is showing resistance to the president and helping to further divide the country. Villa is not trying to push her political beliefs upon others; she is simply showing support for the president of the United States.
Despite the criticism, Villa has stood by her decision to wear the “Make America Great Again” dress to the Grammys. After all, according to Red Alert Politics, her album sales saw a huge increase after the Grammys by going from 543,202 on the charts to number one. Villa wasn’t intentionally causing any political debates and just wanted to show support for the president of the country that she loves.