When a pop star calls the White House 'perverts' for using her music to soundtrack a graphic military video, you know something is seriously amiss! Grammy-nominated artist Kesha has publicly denounced the White House, labeling them "perverts" for employing her hit song "Blow" in a TikTok video that depicted military strikes. The 2011 track, which ironically shares a title with Kesha's breakthrough hit "Tik Tok," was featured in a 30-second clip titled "Lethality" posted on Feb. 10. This video, which has garnered over 1.9 million views, showcases a jet launching a missile at a ship, resulting in an explosion, alongside other military imagery.
Kesha revealed on Monday that she was informed the White House had used "Blow" on their TikTok account "to incite violence and threaten war." She expressed her strong disapproval, stating on social media, "Trying to make light of war is disgusting and inhumane. I absolutely do NOT approve of my music being used to promote violence of any kind. Love always trumps hate." The singer further emphasized her stance, telling her followers, "This show of blatant disregard for human life and quite frankly this attack on all of our nervous systems is the opposite of what I stand for." She also took a jab at political diversions, adding, "Also, don’t let this distract us from the fact that criminal predator Donald Trump appears in the Files over a million times."
But here's where it gets controversial... White House Communications Director Steven Cheung responded to Kesha's outcry, suggesting that their use of popular music is a calculated tactic to boost engagement with MAGA videos. "All these ‘singers’ keep falling for this," Cheung remarked. "This just gives us more attention and more view counts to our videos because people want to see what they’re bitching about." This perspective frames the unauthorized use of music as a deliberate strategy to provoke reactions and drive traffic, a move that clearly aims to generate buzz, even if it means ruffling artistic feathers.
Following Cheung's comment, Kesha posted a direct message on her X account: "Stop using my music, perverts @WhiteHouse." When approached by The Daily Beast, the White House reiterated Cheung’s original statement. Additionally, White House Deputy Communications Director Kaelan Dorr commented, "Kesha quotes are like Popeye’s Spinach to this team. Memes? They’ll continue. Winning? Will also continue." The White House did not directly address Kesha's "perverts" remark. It's worth noting the significant follower counts: Dorr has 50,000, Cheung has 137,000, while Kesha boasts 2.8 million followers on X.
"Blow" achieved No. 7 on the charts in 2011 and has accumulated over 330,000 streams on Spotify alone. Kesha's overall streaming numbers are staggering, with over 11 billion streams on Spotify and 41 million monthly listeners. Her most recognized hits include "Tik Tok," "Timber," "Die Young," "Your Love Is My Drug," and "Praying."
This isn't the first time Kesha has voiced strong opinions about political figures. In 2024, when asked about then-vice presidential candidate JD Vance, she famously retorted, "F--- that man. F--- them all!" When questioned about Vance's 2021 remarks describing America as being run by "a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made," Kesha emphatically agreed, stating, "It is, bitch. It is. And this is what it looks like, honey."
Kesha is not alone in her condemnation of political administrations using music without consent. This week, the U.K. band Radiohead publicly denounced the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency for using their song "Let Down" in a promotional video. The video, which featured alleged crime victims, carried the caption, "American citizens raped and murdered by those who have no right to be in our country. This is who we fight for. This is our why." Radiohead issued a stern statement demanding the video's removal, stating, "We demand that the amateurs in control of the ICE social media account take it down. It ain’t funny, this song means a lot to us and other people, and you don’t get to appropriate it without a fight." They concluded their statement with a defiant, "Also, go f--- yourselves."
Similarly, in November, chart-topper Olivia Rodrigo criticized the Trump administration after her song "All-American Bitch" was used in an ICE video aimed at encouraging undocumented immigrants to leave the U.S. voluntarily. Rodrigo posted on the video, "Don’t ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda," though her comment was later deleted. Her fans, however, preserved the message through screenshots.
And this is the part most people miss... The ongoing trend of artists speaking out against the unauthorized use of their music by political entities raises a fundamental question about artistic integrity versus political messaging. While the White House and ICE may view these actions as strategic tools for engagement, artists like Kesha, Radiohead, and Olivia Rodrigo see it as a violation of their creative expression and a co-option of their work for agendas they do not support. Is it ever acceptable for a political entity to leverage an artist's work without explicit permission, even if it's for perceived strategic gain? Or should artistic expression always remain sacred from such appropriations? What are your thoughts on this ongoing debate? Do you believe artists have a right to control how their music is used in political contexts, or should such usage be considered fair game in the digital age?
