Katy Perry, known for her pop music career and relationship with former prime minister Justin Trudeau, recently spoke out against the Trump Administration’s use of her song “Firework” in a TikTok video depicting explosions related to the war with Iran. Perry expressed her disappointment and anger at the misuse of her music, stating that the song was intended to inspire hope and strength during difficult times, not to promote destruction and violence. Despite her objection, Perry has limited control over the use of her songs due to selling the publishing rights for five albums to Litmus Music in 2023. The White House has since removed the audio from the original post.
Perry is not the only artist to criticize the Trump administration for unauthorized use of their work. Ariana Grande previously objected to her music being used in a video related to immigration policies. Similarly, Bruce Springsteen has also voiced his disapproval of Trump using his songs at political events. Perry, a supporter of Democratic politicians, has shown her allegiance to figures like Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris in past elections. Additionally, Perry has accompanied Trudeau to international events, such as the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he discussed the concept of soft power.