PHILADELPHIA — The bass line is unmistakable. It’s a driving, synthesized strut that screams 1984, confidence, and high fashion. It is the sound of “New Attitude,” the anthem that cemented Patti LaBelle as a solo superstar and became a soundtrack for anyone reinventing themselves. On Thursday night, however, that bass line didn’t echo through a dance club or a concert hall. It boomed through the speakers of a massive campaign rally in Pennsylvania, heralding the arrival of Donald Trump.
For the campaign, the song choice was likely a nod to momentum—a signal of a “new” phase. But for the 81-year-old music legend watching the news from her home just outside Philadelphia, it was a desecration.
By Friday morning, the Godmother of Soul had put down her famous sweet potato pies and picked up the phone to her lawyers. The result was a legal and public relations blitzkrieg that left the political world reeling. Patti LaBelle didn’t just ask them to stop; she demanded a reckoning.
In a statement that read less like a press release and more like a sermon, LaBelle eviscerated the unauthorized use of her voice. “I have spent fifty years singing about love, about change, and about the power of the human spirit to rise above,” she wrote. “To hear my voice used to sell division, fear, and a step backward is not just an insult to me. It is an insult to the music itself.”
The Diva vs. The Demagogue
The clash captures a specific cultural friction. Patti LaBelle is not just a singer; she is an institution. She is a bridge between the gospel roots of the Civil Rights era and the glitz of modern pop. She is a gay icon, a humanitarian, and a woman who has performed for Presidents of both parties with grace. But she has always drawn a hard line at disrespect.
“You do not come for Ms. Patti,” said culture critic Jamilah Lemieux on MSNBC. “Donald Trump is used to fighting politicians who play by a certain set of rules. He is not ready for a Black grandmother from Philly who has survived the chitlin’ circuit, the disco era, and the music industry. She has armor he can’t pierce.”
The song itself, “New Attitude,” is lyrically about personal growth—“I’m feeling good from my head to my shoes / Know where I’m going and I know what to do.” LaBelle’s legal team argues that associating these lyrics with a campaign often criticized for dwelling on past grievances is a “false endorsement” under the Lanham Act. They argue that the use of the song implies LaBelle supports the candidate’s platform, a suggestion she vehemently rejects.
The “Disgrace” Comment
What elevated this story from a standard copyright skirmish to a headline-dominating feud was the sharpness of LaBelle’s language. In an exclusive interview with Rolling Stone shortly after the statement was released, she didn’t mince words.
“He is a disgrace to the country,” LaBelle said, her voice steady but icy. “You cannot treat people with disdain, you cannot try to tear down the very people who built this country, and then expect to dance to their music. You don’t get the rhythm without the respect.”
This quote went viral instantly. It resonated deeply within the African American community, where LaBelle is viewed with a reverence reserved for royalty. To see her stand up—not just for her copyright, but for her dignity—galvanized a wave of support. #StandWithPatti began trending, with fans posting videos of her legendary performances, contrasting her raw vocal power with the perceived hollowness of the political rally.
The Campaign’s Misstep
The Trump campaign, which has faced similar objections from artists like Celine Dion and the estate of Isaac Hayes, initially dismissed the complaint as “standard Hollywood liberalism.” A campaign aide tweeted, “We love the song! Everyone loves the song. Ms. LaBelle should be happy we are reminding people of her hits.”
That proved to be a miscalculation. LaBelle responded not with another statement, but with an action. She announced that all proceeds from the streaming of “New Attitude” for the next month would be donated to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund—an organization directly opposing many of the policies touted at the rally.
“If they want to play my song,” LaBelle said in a video posted to Instagram, wearing sunglasses and looking every inch the superstar, “then let’s make sure that money goes to fixing the mess they’re making. You want a new attitude? Here it is.”
A Battle for Ownership
Beyond the political theater, legal scholars note that LaBelle’s aggressive stance highlights a shifting power dynamic. Artists are no longer content to simply send a cease-and-desist letter that gets ignored. They are fighting for the moral rights of their art.
“Music is the emotional shorthand of a campaign,” explains intellectual property lawyer Kevin Grierson. “When Trump plays Patti LaBelle, he is trying to borrow her warmth, her energy, and her cross-generational appeal. She is saying, ‘You can’t borrow what you haven’t earned.'”
As the weekend approached, the song was notably absent from the playlist at the next rally. The silence was a victory for the Godmother. Patti LaBelle had proven that while politicians may control the microphone for a moment, the legends control the music forever. She reclaimed her anthem, dusted off her shoulders, and showed the world that even at 81, she is not the one to be trifled with. She’s got a new attitude, indeed—and it bites back.
