Kesha demands White House stop using her Music in TikTok featuring missile strike
Kesha has joined a growing list of artists pushing back against Donald Trump and his allies for using their music in political content. Like Olivia Rodrigo, the Rolling Stones, Celine Dion, Radiohead, Sabrina Carpenter, and Isaac Hayes before her, the “TikTok” singer says she does not want her work tied to the former president or his movement.
The latest dispute centers on a February 10 TikTok post from the White House that featured Kesha’s song “Blow” under footage titled “Lethality,” showing a jet firing a missile at what appears to be an enemy ship. Kesha objected publicly, criticizing the use of her music alongside imagery of violence.
“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. please love yourself and each other in times like this. 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 wrote on social media.
The White House responded quickly. Communications director Steven Cheung dismissed the criticism, suggesting it was only boosting engagement. “All these ‘singers’ keep falling for this,” Cheung posted. “This just gives us more attention and more views to our videos because people want to see what they’re bitching about.”
Kesha fired back with a blunt reply: “Stop using my music, perverts @WhiteHouse.” Online metrics tell part of the story. As of Monday evening, Cheung’s post had drawn just over 26,000 views on X. Kesha’s response to him had nearly 547,000 views on the same platform, and her original objection surpassed 1 million views. Meanwhile, the February 10 jet video has racked up more than 15 million views on TikTok.
The clash is the latest in a string of music disputes involving Trump. In recent weeks, the estate of Isaac Hayes reached a settlement over the use of “Hold On, I’m Coming” at campaign rallies, saying the payout “reaffirms the importance of protecting intellectual property rights and copyrights, especially as they relate to legacy, ownership, and the responsible use of creative works.”
Just days later, Radiohead objected to the use of “Let Down” in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement promotional video shared by Trump, the White House, and DHS. “We demand that the amateurs in control of the ICE social media account take it down,” the band said.
“It ain’t funny, this song means a lot to other people and us, and you don’t get to appropriate it without a fight.” They added: “Also, go f*ck yourselves.” Kesha’s message, in tone if not in length, carried much the same sentiment.
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