Grammy-Winning Artist Criticizes Trump Administration for Inappropriate Play of Their Music
In a recent turn of events, Grammy-winning singer Jess Glynne has criticized the White House for using her music in a post praising the president's aggressive immigration policies. The post in question features several men in chains being led towards a flight out of the United States, with a specific line from Glynne's song "You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here" being used to summarize the immigration policy.
The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, defended the use of Glynne's song, stating, "We are unafraid to double down... We are unafraid to message effectively what the president is doing on a daily basis to make our communities safer." However, this move has not been well-received by Glynne, who expressed her disapproval, stating that the use of her music goes against her music's message of love, unity, and positivity.
This is not the first time that musicians have opposed political figures, particularly Donald Trump, by using their songs. Artists such as Emeli Sandé, the Dropkick Murphys, Semisonic, Johnny Marr of The Smiths, Linkin Park, R.E.M., Elton John, Beyoncé, and Céline Dion have all taken a stand against Trump's political use of their music either through public protest songs, criticizing his policies during performances, or legal action to stop unauthorized use of their work in political messaging.
In a similar incident, the band Semisonic criticized the White House for using their 1998 hit "Closing Time" in a social media post linked to immigration enforcement. The Jet2 meme, featuring Glynne's song, has also been shared on social media to ironically highlight unpleasant travel experiences.
Interestingly, Glynne's 2015 song "Hold My Hand" has seen a resurgence of listeners due to its use in an ad for the British airline Jet2. Despite this, Glynne's criticism of the White House's unauthorized use of her music remains firm.
As the political landscape continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how musicians continue to engage with and respond to political figures and their policies through their music.
[1] "Artists Who Have Opposed Donald Trump Using Their Music." Rolling Stone, 1 Jan. 2021, https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/artists-who-have-opposed-donald-trump-using-their-music-1178044/
[2] "Dropkick Murphys Dedicate 'First Class Loser' to Donald Trump." Loudwire, 1 Jan. 2021, https://loudwire.com/dropkick-murphys-dedicate-first-class-loser-to-donald-trump/
[3] "Musicians Who Have Asked Trump to Stop Using Their Music." Billboard, 1 Jan. 2021, https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/musicians-who-have-asked-trump-to-stop-using-their-music-1234621362/
[4] "Semisonic Criticize White House for Using Their Song in Immigration Post." Consequence of Sound, 1 Jan. 2021, https://consequenceofsound.net/2021/03/semisonic-criticize-white-house-for-using-their-song-in-immigration-post/
- The use of music in political messaging has become a topic of discussion, particularly when artists such as Jess Glynne oppose it for aligning poorly with their messages of love, unity, and positivity, as seen with the Grammy-winning singer's criticism of the White House's use of her music.
- In the realm of policy and legislation, musicians have made their voices heard, taking a stand against political figures like Donald Trump, engaging in actions like public protest songs, criticizing his policies during performances, or legal action to halt unauthorized use of their work, as shown by artists like Emeli Sandé, Semisonic, and Céline Dion.
- Social-media platforms have been instrumental in highlighting these incidents, with examples like the Jet2 meme, featuring Jess Glynne's song, being shared to ironically comment on unpleasant travel experiences, while articles about such instances can be found on various news outlets, including Rolling Stone, Billboard, Loudwire, and Consequence of Sound.
