Kesha Blasts White House for Using Her Song ‘Blow’ in Video That ‘Makes Light of War’: ‘Disgusting and Inhumane’

Kesha has become the latest artist to protest the U.S. government's unauthorized use of her music in official social media content. The controversy stems from a White House TikTok video posted on February 10th, which paired combat footage with her 2010 hit "Blow." The post, captioned simply "Lethality," has been viewed more than 14.5 million times. Kesha—whose career resurgence with albums like 2017's 'Rainbow' was built on anthems of empowerment following her legal dispute with producer Dr. Luke—publicly criticized the video this week for distorting her song's intent.

In a statement released Monday, the singer forcefully objected to the administration's actions. "It’s come to my attention that The White House has used one of my songs on TikTok to incite violence and threaten war," Kesha wrote. She labeled any attempt to make light of warfare "disgusting and inhumane," firmly distancing her art from the promotion of violence. Her remarks also pivoted to a separate political issue, adding, "Also, don’t let this distract us from the fact that criminal predator Donald Trump appears in the [Epstein] Files over a million times." The White House has not publicly addressed her condemnation. This incident highlights a recurring tension where government agencies, seeking relatable content for platforms like TikTok, often clash with artists over contextual meaning.

Kesha's protest is part of a broader pattern of musicians challenging federal departments. Just days prior, the band Radiohead issued a blistering, expletive-filled statement after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) used their song "Let Down" in a video promoting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities. While such usage can sometimes fall under existing licensing agreements, the ethical and public relations fallout is significant. Media studies professor Dr. Elena Torres observes, "These disputes transcend copyright law, becoming acts of symbolic resistance where artists reclaim narrative control. It's a powerful form of political commentary that directly challenges a message's legitimacy." This dynamic turns music licensing into a high-stakes arena for political messaging.

A notable shift has been the willingness of younger pop stars to directly call out government agencies. In November, Olivia Rodrigo demanded that ICE never use her song "All American Bitch" for what she described as "racist, hateful propaganda." Similarly, Sabrina Carpenter condemned a post that synced her track "Juno" with footage of immigrant arrests, labeling it "evil and disgusting." The trend continued in December when SZA objected to the White House using a performance of her song "Snooze"—often associated with the concept of 'cuffing season'—in a pro-ICE context. These repeated clashes underscore a digital-era conflict: political entities seek culturally potent soundtracks to amplify their messages, while artists vigilantly defend their work's intended meaning and association against what they perceive as misuse.