In addition to engaging with voters and participating in televised debates, Chile’s presidential hopefuls have embraced music in their campaigns, releasing videos, songs, and albums to attract voters for the upcoming election on November 16.
Last Tuesday, Evelyn Matthei, a seasoned conservative candidate, unveiled a music video where she appears standing with arms crossed, surrounded by dancers as a trap beat plays. Trap music, influenced by hip-hop and reggaeton, is particularly popular among young Chileans.
According to Chile’s election agency Servel, around 3 million of the 15.6 million eligible voters are aged between 18 and 29.
The song begins with, “I’m not Kast, I’m not Jara, I’m Evelyn looking forward,” alluding to her main competitors: far-right Republican Jose Antonio Kast and the ruling leftist coalition’s Jeannette Jara.
The video quickly gained traction, garnering 2.5 million YouTube views within days, and criticizes both opponents, suggesting that Jara represents a continuity of a scandal-plagued government that has struggled with crime and economic issues. Although Matthei doesn’t sing in the video, it highlights her concrete proposals compared to Kast and outlines her planned policies.
“No, she certainly isn’t Jara… and I’m clearly not Matthei,” Jara responded to the song’s portrayal.
On Wednesday, Matthei’s team defended the video, describing it as “an innovative way to engage with young people by speaking their language.”
Jara’s approach includes a catchy pop-themed jingle: “It’s for you, it’s for Chile, it’s Jara.” She remains active on TikTok and other social media platforms, sharing videos about her makeup or Spotify playlist.
Meanwhile, Matthei’s right-wing rival Kast criticized the song on Radio Universo, calling it “bad” and a “big mistake.” Despite being second to Jara in recent polls, Kast’s campaign album “Disco Kast Vol: 5,” featuring a mix of hard rock, K-pop, reggae, and reggaeton, has made him Chile’s most streamed candidate on Spotify, with nearly 23,000 monthly listeners.
