Overview
- The White House’s official TikTok account posted an unclassified nine-second clip of U.S. strikes on Iran on Thursday that paired explosions with Katy Perry’s 2010 hit “Firework” and the caption “Iran has been warned.”
- Katy Perry wrote on X on Saturday that she was “deeply appalled and angry,” said she was not asked or gave permission, and called the song’s use to soundtrack violence a “complete violation” of its meaning as an anthem of hope.
- When asked about Perry’s claim, a White House spokesperson reportedly pointed to an earlier, unrelated video of Perry rather than directly denying the TikTok’s use of her song.
- News outlets note this episode continues a pattern of musicians objecting to the Trump White House’s use of their work on social media, with recent public complaints from artists including Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo and Kesha.
- Although social platforms often have licensing deals with record companies that can allow songs to be used in user content, artists and estates have contested government association and no public takedown or legal filing by Perry was reported as of Saturday.