Pop Star Fury: Zara Larsson Blasts White House Over ‘Dehumanizing’ Use of Her Song
Zara Larsson publicly condemned the White House's use of her song “Midnight Sun” in a TikTok video depicting ICE deportations, calling the content “dehumanizing.” This marks her second objection to her music being used by the White House for immigration enforcement content, aligning with other artists who have also spoken out. She criticized the video for creating division and misrepresenting her song's message of connection.
Pop star Zara Larsson has strongly condemned the White House for using her song “Midnight Sun” as the soundtrack to a TikTok video depicting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arresting and deporting individuals.
The video, posted on the White House’s TikTok account, was accompanied by the caption, “Never ending deportations,” a phrase that appeared to reference the lyric “never ending midnight sun” from Larsson’s track.
Larsson expressed her profound disappointment and sadness in her own TikTok response, beginning with an “L” gesture to signify her disapproval. She articulated that her heart felt heavy seeing her music associated with such imagery, directly addressing the video’s creator.
The artist emphasized her belief that individuals on both sides of the immigration issue are fundamentally similar, pointing to her own fortunate upbringing in Sweden and the opportunities she received.
She highlighted that the people shown in the White House video are simply striving for better lives for themselves and their families.
The stark contrast between the song’s meaning and the video’s content was particularly jarring for Larsson. She explained that “Midnight Sun” is intended to evoke feelings of connection to nature, the universe, and other people.
Pairing it with videos of immigration enforcement, therefore, felt deeply inappropriate. Larsson stated, “This video is so dehumanizing. These people in the video are real people,” drawing attention to a man in construction clothing featured in the clip, underscoring that they are “just trying to have a better future.”
Beyond the emotional impact, Larsson criticized what she perceived as a trend to trivialize serious subjects by turning them into memes, asserting that such content fosters division rather than connection.
She concluded her video response by labeling those responsible for the post as “f–king losers.” Billboard has reportedly sought comment from the White House regarding the incident.
This is not the first instance of Larsson publicly objecting to the White House’s use of her music in its social media content.
Earlier in the year, she took issue when the White House posted a video of President Donald Trump dancing to her song “Lush Life,” which was paired with messages supporting ICE and law enforcement.
Following that incident, Larsson used an Instagram Story to voice her support for immigrants and other groups, explicitly stating, “I f–king hate ICE.”
Larsson’s most recent protest comes amidst a broader movement of artists speaking out against the unauthorized use of their music in White House social media posts concerning immigration enforcement.
Notably, Ariana Grande recently objected to her song “Bye” being featured in a video with ICE agents, condemning the content as “barbaric” and “inhumane.”
Meanwhile, Larsson’s song “Midnight Sun” has achieved significant popularity on TikTok and charts, reaching No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 earlier this year, marking her second-highest charting song after “Stateside” with PinkPantheress, which peaked at No. 6.