Chicago – July 27, 2026
Pop star Katy Perry has criticized the White House after it used her 2010 hit Firework in a TikTok video featuring footage of U.S. military strikes on Iranian targets. The video synchronized the song’s “boom, boom, boom” lyrics with explosions and carried the caption, “Iran has been warned,” prompting backlash from the singer. The controversy comes despite Perry having sold the majority of her music catalog in a deal reportedly worth $225 million, though she remains the song’s performer and co-writer.
In a statement shared on social media, Perry said: “I am deeply appalled and angry to see ‘Firework’ used… I did not approve this, I was not asked, and I absolutely do not condone it.” She added that the song was written as “an anthem of hope, healing, and inner strength” and called its use alongside military footage “a complete violation of everything my song stands for.
The White House had not publicly responded to Perry’s criticism at the time of publication. The incident adds to a growing list of artists who have objected to the use of their music in political or government messaging without their approval.
