"I am deeply appalled and angry": Katy Perry condemns White House for using 'Firework' in military strikes video
Washington DC, July 26
Singer-songwriter Katy Perry has condemned the White House for using her 2010 hit 'Firework' in a TikTok video featuring footage of military strikes, saying the song was used without her permission and in a manner that goes against its intended message, according to Billboard.
The White House's official TikTok account earlier this week shared a video synchronising the song's "boom, boom, boom" lyrics with black-and-white footage of bombing. The post was captioned, "Iran has been warned," as per the outlet.
The 41-year-old pop star took to social media to condemn the Trump administration for featuring the 2010 anthem in a White House TikTok post showing footage of military strikes.
Reacting to the video, Perry said she was "deeply appalled and angry" over the unauthorised use of her music.
"I am deeply appalled and angry to see "Firework" used on the @WhiteHouse TikTok account as a backing track for video footage of military strikes. I did not approve this, I was not asked, and I absolutely do not condone it," Perry wrote on X.
The singer said she wrote 'Firework' as "an anthem of hope, healing, and inner strength" for people facing difficult moments in their lives and criticised its use alongside footage of warfare, according to Billboard.
"I wrote this song to be an anthem of hope, healing, and inner strength for people going through their darkest personal moments. To see a message of self-worth and upliftment weaponized to soundtrack destruction and violence is a complete violation of everything my song stands for," she said.
Perry concluded her statement by reiterating the purpose behind her music, "My music is for bringing people together, not celebrating warfare," she added in her post on X.
Released as the third single from Perry's 2010 album 'Teenage Dream', 'Firework' became one of her signature hits, spending four non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Perry joins a growing list of artists who have criticised the Trump administration over the unauthorised use of their music in political videos and campaign-related content.
In June, Ariana Grande blasted the White House for using her 2024 song 'Bye' in a TikTok video promoting ICE agents making arrests. Earlier this year, Kesha also criticized the Trump administration after her song 'Blow' was used without authorization in a TikTok featuring fighter jets and military strike footage captioned 'Lethality', according to Billboard.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone who loves 'Firework' since my college days, this feels like a personal insult. The song is for people who feel broken, for those fighting depression, for anyone needing a spark. Using it for military strikes is just... tone deaf. Respect artists' rights, even if you're the White House.
I'm not a fan of Katy Perry's music, but she's 100% justified here. Copyright laws exist for a reason. You can't just take someone's creative work and repurpose it for something they fundamentally disagree with. This is worse than a campaign rally—it's literally weaponizing art. 😠
This is so disturbing. I remember listening to 'Firework' during tough times—it was like a friend telling me everything would be okay. To see it synced with bombings... sickening. Art should unite, not divide. Good on Katy Perry for speaking up. More artists should sue! 💪
Honestly, this is a mess. I get why the White House might think 'boom boom boom' fits strike footage, but that's missing the point entirely. The song is about emotional explosions, not literal ones. Katy Perry has every right to be angry. I hope she takes legal action—these big institutions think they can do whatever they want.
At this point, every artist should have a clause in their contracts: 'Not to be used for war propaganda.' 🙏 Katy Perry, Kesha, Ariana Grande... the list keeps growing. It's not just about music rights anymore—it's about basic human decency. My heart
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