Zohran Mamdani Describes His NYC Mayoral Campaign Through Three Songs — “Shout-Out to Taylor Swift”

If Zohran Mamdani were to curate a playlist for his bid to become New York City’s next mayor, it would include selections from Taylor Swift, Lil Wayne, Drake and others.

Speaking with Pop Base at a recent voter gathering, the Queens representative smiled as he considered which three songs best capture the spirit of his campaign. In a video posted on October 30, 2025, he thoughtfully named his picks.

Mamdani began by putting “Hate It or Love It” by The Game featuring 50 Cent on the list — “gotta put that one in there,” he said — and also selected “Right Above It” by Lil Wayne featuring Drake.

For his third choice, he paid tribute to Taylor Swift, citing “Only the Young,” the song that debuted in Swift’s 2020 Netflix documentary Miss Americana and emphasizes the political power of young people.

With the New York City mayoral race reaching its final days, Election Day is scheduled for November 4, 2025. Mamdani has run a high-profile grassroots campaign advocating for lower rents, free public transit and more affordable groceries and childcare, among other measures. His platform is laid out on his campaign site. Learn more about his platform.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a prominent supporter, joined the Pop Base event and was asked for her own trio of favorite albums. After pausing to think, she named The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Britney Spears’ Blackout and Beyoncé’s Renaissance; she shared that reaction on social media. See AOC’s picks.

Watch Mamdani discuss his campaign soundtrack in the embedded Pop Base clip below.

Source