Katy Perry has publicly condemned the White House after her 2010 hit “Firework” was used as the soundtrack to a TikTok video showing U.S. military strikes on Iranian targets. The singer said she was never asked for permission and called the video’s use of the song a complete betrayal of its original meaning.
Katy Perry addressed the controversy on July 25, sharing a strongly worded statement on X after the White House posted the video earlier this week. The clip, captioned with a warning directed at Iran, paired footage of military operations with one of the biggest pop anthems of the 2010s, prompting widespread backlash online.
“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 continued by explaining the original intention behind the song, which became a global anthem after its release on Teenage Dream in 2010.
“I wrote this song to be an anthem of hope, healing, and inner strength for people going through their darkest personal moments,” she said. “To see a message of self-worth and upliftment weaponized to soundtrack destruction and violence is a complete violation of everything my song stands for.”
Katy Perry concluded her statement with a direct message about the role of her music: “My music is for bringing people together, not celebrating warfare.”
The White House video forms part of a broader social media strategy that has emerged during the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran. In recent months, official government accounts have shared short-form videos combining footage of military operations with viral music, internet memes, movie references, and gaming culture, drawing criticism from artists and commentators alike.
Katy Perry is the latest musician to publicly object to the political use of her work. In late 2025, SZA criticized the White House after one of her songs was featured in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement video, accusing the administration of using artists to fuel political messaging. The White House later responded publicly to her criticism.
Sabrina Carpenter also condemned officials after “Juno” appeared in a pro-ICE video, calling the edit “evil and disgusting.” Earlier, Olivia Rodrigo denounced the Department of Homeland Security for using “all-american b*tch” in a video promoting voluntary self-deportation flights, arguing that the song’s message had been fundamentally distorted.
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