In the 2000s the most mainstream music heard on the radio was pop, rap and/or R&B and the subject of the songs were common thoughts, nothing to make a fuss about. One artist who developed during this time was Pink who countered some notions about war, gay rights and the overall state of America with her song "Dear Mr. President". I believe “Dear Mr. President” should be included in MUSC2019 because this song combines pop and folk influences using different techniques such as repetition, metaphors, and dynamics to enhance the effect the song has on the audience. The verse begins with an acoustic guitar that uses a walking beat and melancholy tone. "Dear Mr. President, come for a walk with me." The guitar pauses as "Come take a walk with me" repeats. For the rest of the verse the guitar falters in and out emphasizing key vocals like "you're no better than me." The acoustic guitar creates a reflective atmosphere and does not distract from the lyrics while highlighting their meaning. Increasing the impact they have on the public. In the second verse Pink's voice becomes slightly higher and stronger. The chords played by the guitar are changed to go along with the change in the lyrics, from statements to questions, these lines of questioning continue for the rest of the song. The end of the verse is matched by the accusatory tone of “Are you proud?” with the strumming of the guitar they contrast each other in a way that works with the tone. When the chorus comes, the tempo picks up with this, the guitar getting louder as well as Pink's voice. The depressing tone that was there at the beginning has now turned into anger, but not as passionate as you would expect from that moment... middle of the paper... all at once. Another influence on this song comes from Billy Mann. After graduation, Mann became a street musician honing his skills as a self-taught multi-instrumentalist. Signing with A&M Records after creating country rock and pop albums, while not prevalent on "Dear Mr. President", I feel his influence shows through Pink's other songs that have rock and pop tones. The song also features the Indigo Girls who "rose to fame as part of the late '80s folk singer-songwriter revival" (reference) by actively advocating for women's rights, LGBT rights (being lesbians themselves), and many other causes. I feel that the Indigo Girls lend their expertise in folk music production to create the feel of modern folk in this song with its simplistic nature and guitar playing, although it lacks the raw, pristine sound that folk primitive incorporated..