A growing number of celebrated musicians, including Adele, REM, and the Rolling Stones, have demanded that former President Donald Trump stop using their songs at his campaign events. This response highlights a broader trend where artists assert control over their intellectual property amid political controversies. Notably, Beyoncé issued a cease-and-desist order to prevent the use of her song “Freedom” at Trump’s rallies. Similarly, Céline Dion’s team and the estate of Isaac Hayes expressed outrage over the unauthorized use of their music.
The Trump campaign faces accusations of playing Céline Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” without permission. In response, the estate of late soul singer Isaac Hayes ordered Trump to cease using “Hold On, I’m Coming” and demanded $3 million in licensing fees. Meanwhile, the Foo Fighters encountered claims that they had permitted the use of their song “My Hero,” prompting them to employ creative measures to counter these assertions.
ABBA also joined the list of artists objecting to Trump’s use of their music. Their hits, including “The Winner Takes It All,” were featured at a Trump rally in Minnesota, a state with the highest Swedish population in the US. Despite assertions from Trump’s campaign that they had obtained permission, Universal Music, Abba’s record label, disputed this claim.
“Together with the members of Abba, we have discovered that videos have been released where ABBA’s music/videos have been used at Trump events, and we have therefore requested that such use be immediately taken down and removed” – Universal Music.
Universal Music emphasized that no permission or license had been issued for Trump’s use of ABBA’s songs.
“Universal Music Publishing AB and Polar Music International AB have not received any request, so no permission or licence has been given to Trump” – Universal Music.
Adding to the controversy, ABBA’s international record labels released a public statement demanding the removal of videos featuring their music from Trump’s events. Songs like “Money, Money, Money” and “Dancing Queen” were among those played at the July event in Minnesota. A spokesperson for Abba disclosed that any royalties from the Trump campaign’s usage would be donated to Kamala Harris’s campaign.
The estate of Sinéad O’Connor also took action, demanding Trump stop using “Nothing Compares 2 U,” asserting that O’Connor would have been deeply offended by such use. In the United States, campaigns must obtain a Political Entities Licence from BMI, granting access to over 20 million tracks for rallies. However, Universal Music confirmed no such license had been granted to Trump’s campaign.
Featured Image courtesy of Entertainment Weekly
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