The band Semisonic has mentioned the Donald Trump White Home “missed the purpose” of its hit Closing Time “completely” when the administration used the Emmy-nominated tune in a social media put up displaying a shackled particular person being deported.
An announcement from Semisonic additionally mentioned the White Home didn’t have permission to make use of the tune in that method.
The White Home’s put up included a video of a person handcuffed on the waist whereas being patted down at an airport, captioned with the tune’s signature lyrics: “You don’t must go house, however you may’t keep right here.”
“We didn’t authorize or condone the White Home’s use of our tune ‘Closing Time’ in any approach,” the band, which shaped in Minneapolis, mentioned in its personal Fb put up after the video was circulated extensively. “And no, they didn’t ask. The tune is about pleasure and prospects and hope, and so they have missed the purpose completely.”
The US Customs and Border Safety company retweeted the White Home’s put up with the caption: “It’s closing time. We’re making America protected once more.”
The White Home press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, mentioned on Monday that “our whole authorities clearly is leaning into the message of this president” when requested in regards to the tune.
Closing Time appeared on Semisonic’s 1998 album Feeling Unusually High quality, which peaked at No 43 on the Billboard 200 and earned a Grammy nomination for greatest rock tune.
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Semisonic joins a rising checklist of artists objecting to Trump’s unauthorized use of their music, together with Abba, Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, Phil Collins, Pharrell, John Fogerty, Neil Younger, Panic! on the Disco, REM, Weapons N’ Roses, Céline Dion and Adele.
In 2024, Dion’s administration and Sony Music Canada rebuked the unauthorized use of My Coronary heart Will Go On at a Trump marketing campaign rally in Montana. An announcement – alluding to the hit’s presence on the soundtrack of the 1997 movie Titanic and revealed on her social media – learn: “Under no circumstances is that this use approved, and Celine Dion doesn’t endorse this or any related use.… And actually, THAT tune?”
Rihanna had an analogous response in 2018 when Don’t Cease the Music performed at a Trump rally. She mentioned that her music shouldn’t be used for political functions.
Artists together with Steven Tyler and Neil Younger have despatched cease-and-desist letters demanding their songs not be used at marketing campaign occasions. In Might 2023, Village Individuals additionally despatched a cease-and-desist letter and threatened authorized motion after Trump used their tune Macho Man and different hit songs with out their permission.
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