Katy Perry has publicly condemned the White House for using her 2010 hit «Firework» without permission in a TikTok video that promoted recent U.S. military strikes on Iranian targets. In a post on X, the pop star expressed anger and disappointment, saying the song — which she wrote as an anthem of hope and inner strength — had been weaponized to soundtrack destruction.
«I am deeply appalled and angry to see ‘Firework’ used on the @WhiteHouse TikTok account as a backing track for video footage of military strikes,» Perry wrote. «I did not approve this, I was not asked, and I absolutely do not condone it.» She added that her music was meant to bring people together, not to celebrate warfare. The White House video, shared on Thursday, featured black-and-white footage of strikes with the lyric «boom, boom, boom» synced to the action, along with the caption «Iran has been warned.»
The White House responded indirectly. Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Communications Director Kaelan Dorr replied to Perry’s post by sharing a montage of clips from the singer’s 2012 music video for «Part of Me,» in which she undergoes Marine Corps training. Dorr wrote simply, «This you?» The exchange comes amid heightened tensions between the Trump administration and Iran, following recent U.S. airstrikes and ongoing diplomatic efforts.
Perry sold the majority of her music catalog in September 2023 to Litmus Music, a subsidiary of The Carlyle Group, in a deal reportedly worth $225 million. The sale covered her first five studio albums, including «Teenage Dream,» which features «Firework,» as well as other massive hits like «Roar,» «Dark Horse,» and «I Kissed a Girl.» «Firework» spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped «Teenage Dream» tie Michael Jackson’s «Bad» as the only albums with five number-one singles.
Perry is not the first artist to clash with the administration over the use of music in official social media posts. In June, Ariana Grande criticized the White House for using her song «Bye» in a TikTok video about immigration arrests, calling the agency «barbaric» and «inhumane.» The White House later removed the song after a public backlash. In March, Kesha denounced the administration for using her 2010 hit «Blow» in a video showing a missile launch, saying the government was trying to «incite violence and threaten war.» Her post drew a sharp response from White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, who wrote that such complaints only increased viewership of the videos.
The repeated objections highlight a growing tension between the Trump administration and popular musicians who do not want their work associated with controversial policies. While the White House has often used copyrighted music in social media posts — sometimes without a license — artists have increasingly spoken out, insisting that their songs should not be used to promote messages they oppose. Perry’s case is particularly notable given the enormous commercial value of her catalog, which she no longer fully controls, but which still bears her name and artistic identity.
