Katy Perry decries White House using Firework in Iran war post

Pop singer Katy Perry denounced the Trump administration for using her song Firework without her approval in a social media video showing footage of military strikes in Iran.

“I did not approve this, I was not asked, and I absolutely do not condone it,” Perry wrote in a post on X. “To see a message of self-worth and upliftment weaponised to soundtrack destruction and violence is a complete violation of everything my song stands for.”

The video posted on the White House TikTok account shows footage of military attacks with the caption “Iran has been warned” backed by the song, one of the singer’s nine No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 2023, Perry sold her master recordings and publishing rights to Carlyle Group-backed Litmus Music of five of her most successful albums, including Teenage Dream, which features Firework as one of the singles.

The sale fetched US$225 million (S$290 million), Billboard reported at the time.

The American entertainer has been open about her Democratic views, supporting Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, Joe Biden in 2020 and Hillary Clinton in 2016. She is currently dating former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau.

Perry joins a group of artists who have condemned the Trump administration for using their music or art for social media posts in various government departments’ accounts without their consent to promote messages they do not identify with, including Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter and Kids Can Press, publisher of children’s book series Franklin the Turtle.

Many popular artists, including Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Adele and Rihanna, have also objected to President Donald Trump’s use of their music during his political rallies.


-Bloomberg