Katy Perry condemns Trump administration for unauthorized use of song in Iran-related video

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Pop star Katy Perry has condemned the Trump administration for the unauthorized use of her hit song “Firework” in a social media video depicting military strikes against Iran. The video, which featured the caption “Iran has been warned,” was posted to the White House’s official TikTok account, prompting immediate backlash from the singer.

In a statement posted to X, Perry expressed her profound frustration, noting that she had neither been consulted nor granted permission for the track’s inclusion. She characterized the use of her music to accompany imagery of destruction and violence as fundamentally antithetical to the song’s core message of self-worth and inspiration.

“Firework,” a centerpiece of the album “Teenage Dream,” remains one of Perry’s most successful tracks, having reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100. In 2023, the singer sold the master recording and publishing rights to her first five albums—including “Teenage Dream”—to Litmus Music, a firm backed by the Carlyle Group, in a deal reportedly valued at $225 million.

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A vocal supporter of the Democratic Party, Perry has publicly campaigned for numerous candidates, including Hillary Clinton in 2016, Joe Biden in 2020, and Kamala Harris in 2024. Her opposition to the Trump administration’s use of her work follows a growing trend of artists challenging the unauthorized deployment of their intellectual property by political entities.

Perry joins a long list of entertainers who have taken issue with the use of their art by the Trump administration and its affiliates. High-profile figures such as Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Adele, and Rihanna have previously moved to block the use of their music at political rallies. Furthermore, artists including Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter, alongside the publishers of the “Franklin the Turtle” book series, have publicly protested when their creative works were utilized on government-affiliated social media channels without consent.