Oh, you bet there was! She allowed the idea of her being the darling of the alt-right to propagate just in case. Her recent moves are entirely cynical, IMO.
I do believe that the vast majority of truly influential artists are liberal as noted both the content of their music and public statements they make. There are plenty of regressive assholes like Toby Keith our there, but it sure seems like the music that moves through the generations bends toward progressivism. That could just be the confirmation bias talking, though.
John Lennon disabused me of this at the outset of my musical infatuation. He spoke so honestly about his flaws and wore his heart on his sleeve as a growing human that I learned to expect artists to be private assholes aspiring to a better world. Lou Reed is a great example; he could be utterly tone-deaf and entirely dickish, but the thrust of his work was of offering and acceptance in the least common places. I don’t need an idol, I need a human who can allow themself to grow.
