David Horton and Seth Power, Mississippi State University alumni, released their song “Free,” on Sept. 12 calling for a change regarding Mississippi’s state flag.
Horton, originally from Detroit, Michigan, said he is typically very open about his perspective of society and in the rough draft of the song, directly called out specific politicians name who he thinks are responsible for social unrest.
“We wanted people to see that we’re all at war with the powers that be,” Horton said, indicating the problem Mississippians and the rest of the nation face regarding the state flag is not about race, the social construction.
In a Facebook post, Seth Power of Brandon Mississippi, said anyone who agrees with the message in the song should share the post, which includes a music video.
“David Horton and I have recently written, recorded and released a song in an effort to lend our voices to a growing movement of people who are trying to change the MS flag to one that represents us ALL,” Power said. “It’s time to stop clinging to the past and work towards the future.”
Horton said the song promotes universal love, unity and tolerance, rather than prejudiced bias against people of different races. He said people of all races should be able to come together and some of the people he cares about are not the same race as him.
“It’s time people see past an unfortunate series of events that has separated us for so long,” Horton said.
Horton said people of different backgrounds and up bringings should be able to put aside their differences and love one another.
Christian Brown, Horton and Power’s manager, said the two wanted to encourage the conversation about the state flag issue because the flag’s current form does not include all people throughout the state.
“The song is being used as an anthem to possibly change the state flag,” Brown said. “The song is about coming together despite your skin color.”
Brown said the song has received local attention at several television stations, as well as their online outlets.
Horton said the reason he and Power released the song was to get people talking about the issues underlying the debate about the state flag, not necessarily to enact change, but to inform the population.
“We just wanted to get people talking about what we’re talking about,” Horton said.
Both Power and Horton have released their own music separate from each other. Power, a pop/alternative rock artist, has a new single, which will be released in the coming months.
Horton, an Indie/hip-hop artist, said music was always an interest for him, but he never saw it as a long-term goal. He said he has put out four albums and two mixtapes.
Horton, Power and Brown all played football together at MSU while they were students. Power and Brown were both receivers, while Horton played quarterback. 
Horton said there was a healthy rivalry between the three of them, which brought them closer. He said this was especially true for he and Power, who co-wrote the song, “Free.”
“We are both proud alumni of Mississippi State and we wouldn’t do anything to misrepresent MSU,” Horton said, indicating he did not know how he and Power’s association with the university was brought into the spotlight along with the song. 
“I just choose to carry myself in a manner that people are always watching. I am always aware of what I’m saying and how I say things,” Horton said.
Horton said Power is like his brother, and whenever he visits Brandon, he always has a place to stay with Power’s family.
One of Horton’s lines from the song reinforces his brotherly relationship with Power: “Color can’t stop us from being brothers.”