Donald Trump has ruffled a few feathers in the music industry! The presidential candidate has a long history of using popular songs without the artists’ permission, and guess what? These A-list stars aren’t having it. From public statements to legal threats, here are 3 musicians who’ve told Trump to stop playing their hits at his rallies.
Adele: The singer didn’t mince words when Trump used “Rolling in the Deep” during his 2016 campaign. Her spokesperson made it clear: Adele did not give permission for her music to be used in any political campaign.
Adele bans Donald Trump from using her music in his Presidential campaign https://t.co/yxghFREc4u pic.twitter.com/CJuBSJyXMP
— NME (@NME) February 1, 2016
Beyoncé: The “XO” singer wasn’t far behind. In 2024, when Trump’s team used her empowering anthem “Freedom,” Bey’s squad immediately sent a cease-and-desist. What’s more, the song was approved to be Kamala Harris’ campaign anthem eventually.
Beyoncé reportedly threatened a cease-and-desist for Donald Trump after he used her ‘Lemonade’ track ‘Freedom’ for his Presidential campaign without permission. pic.twitter.com/QRQdX8KSDJ
— Pop Base (@PopBase) August 21, 2024
Rihanna: The entrepreneur took to social media to call out Trump when he played her hit “Don’t Stop the Music” at a 2018 rally. RiRi made it crystal clear that neither she nor her team would ever support Trump’s rallies:
Rihanna slammed President Trump’s campaign for using her song "Don’t Stop The Music" at his rallies: pic.twitter.com/du2OBilK6s
— AJ+ (@ajplus) November 6, 2018
“me nor my people would ever be at or around one of those tragic rallies.”
It’s safe to say Donald Trump’s playlist selections haven’t earned him any new friends (or songs, for that matter).
