Zara Larsson Criticizes White House for Using Her Song in Deportation Video
The Swedish pop star called the use of her song 'dehumanizing' in a video depicting immigration enforcement raids.
Swedish pop star Zara Larsson has condemned the White House for using her song "Midnight Sun" in a social media reel that appeared to showcase immigration enforcement raids. The song has since been removed from the post, but the video remains visible on the White House's TikTok feed.
The video was captioned "never ending deportations," a phrase that played on Larsson's lyrics "never-ending midnight sun." Larsson, in a reaction video shared on social media, described the clip as "dehumanizing," adding her voice to a list of artists who have pushed back against the Trump administration's use of their music.
The White House reel splices together multiple videos of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and other U.S. law enforcement personnel handcuffing individuals and placing them into vehicles. Larsson reposted a portion of the original clip, which then transitioned to a selfie video of her.
In her reaction video, which garnered over 4.2 million views on TikTok, Larsson stated that the White House video was "so dehumanizing." She emphasized that the people depicted in the video are real individuals, many of whom are undocumented immigrants seeking better futures. Larsson accused the White House of using her song to promote division, asserting that the lyrics actually reflect a connection between people and nature.
This is not the first time Larsson's music has been used without her consent by the Trump administration. Earlier this year, she condemned a video that featured her hit song "Lush Life" overlaid with footage of President Donald Trump dancing at various events.
The White House social media accounts have faced multiple instances where songs were removed following interventions from artists. Taylor Swift's track "August" was removed from a reel shared by the administration in August, and Olivia Rodrigo also condemned the use of her music in a video she described as "hateful propaganda." Sabrina Carpenter and Ariana Grande have also issued warnings to the Trump administration against using their songs in social media content after similar incidents.