In brief
Pop superstar Ariana Grande publicly requested the White House halt use of her 2024 single ‘Bye’ following its inclusion in a TikTok reel celebrating Trump’s immigration measures. The clip showcased agents handcuffing people and moving them into cars while her song played in the background. Grande’s tweet denounced the use of her music in what she described as barbaric, inhumane, and heinous content, prompting the clip to be muted and edited. Her appeal joins a growing list of artists who have refused to have their music featured in Trump‑era political messaging.
A pop icon has called on the White House not to use her new single “Bye” after a TikTok video that promoted Trump’s border policy featured her song.
The clip, filmed on Monday, shows agents handcuffing people and loading them into cars to be sent to detention centres, all underscored by Grande’s track.
In response to the post Grande tweeted: ‘Please do not use my music in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense.’
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson replied that “what’s barbaric, inhumane and heinous” refers to the criminal illegal aliens who have harmed U.S. citizens.
After the comment was added the clip became muted and the music was removed, sparking further tweets from users noting the missing audio.
The request comes as Trump has recently signed a bill allocating about 70 billion dollars for immigration agencies, a move that has triggered similar demands from other artists.
Previous singers such as Sabrina Carpenter, ABBA, Celine Dion and Beyoncé have all asked that their music not be used to back Trump’s political agenda.
