Pop singer Kesha has publicly criticized President Donald Trump and the White House after her 2011 hit song “Blow” was used in an official government TikTok video without her approval.
The controversy began when the verified @whitehouse account posted a short video featuring military visuals — including fighter jets, missile launches and explosions — timed to the chorus lyric, “This place about to blow.” The clip was captioned “Lethality,” alongside fire and eagle emojis. The video appeared to promote U.S. military strength amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
What triggered Kesha’s reaction?
Kesha said she did not authorize the use of her song and strongly objected to its association with military imagery and war messaging.
In posts shared on Instagram Stories and X, she accused the White House of using her music “to incite violence and threaten war.” She described the video as “disgusting and inhumane” and said she does not approve of her music being used to promote violence in any form.
She added that the content showed what she called a disregard for human life and urged people to “love yourself and each other in times like this.”
Direct criticism of Trump
In her posts, Kesha also directly criticized President Trump, calling on the administration to stop using her music. Her remarks quickly went viral, drawing widespread support from fans while also triggering backlash from pro-administration voices online.
Bigger picture
This incident follows a pattern seen in previous political cycles, where artists objected to their songs being used in political campaigns or government-related media without permission. At the center of this dispute is the broader issue of music licensing and whether public officials can legally use copyrighted songs in official digital content.
As of now, there has been no public statement indicating that the White House removed the video or addressed the licensing concerns directly.
Comments are closed.