Music is political : Sounds in times of war. Popular music, (contentious) politics, and social change since Russia`s war on Ukraine

This Special issue focuses on sounds, music, and the role and power of it in times of war. The articles on the Russian music scene show how popular music is a tool in legitimizing the installed power; the underlying message in popular music videos and lyrics is, to this end, celebrating tradional values, glorifying patriotism and the nation. OTHER ARTICLES on the contrary look into the potential of music for resistance (in Belarus), the power of political mobilization and messages, coded or hidden, calling for action, in either rap or rock music. Official Belarusian music, supported by Lukashenka, however is described as filled with the echoes of the lost past, promoting nostalgia and giving promises of a safer future rooted in the past. Music has a unique ability to transport the listener back in time. An essay helps us understand how sound and old radio recordings can give a feeling of safety by reminding listeners in Ukraine of a shared independent past. Remembering the dreams of yesterday by listening to sounds once forgotten is described as a way to keep hope for the future in war-torn Ukraine — or at least to bear the burden of today.