Musicians Who Refuse to Let Trump Use Their Music

Céline Dion has become the latest musician to add her name to a long and growing list of artists who have publicly denounced Donald Trump’s use of their music at campaign rallies.

The unauthorized use of Dion’s hit song “My Heart Will Go On” at a Trump rally in Montana on Friday prompted the singer to release a statement condemning the usage and expressing her disapproval.

The romantic ballad, which was released as the theme song for the 1997 film “Titanic,” is an unusual choice for a political rally, especially considering the negative connotations associated with sinking ships in a political context.

The irony of the song choice was not lost on many observers, including the campaign of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, who posted a video of the song being played at the rally with the caption, “Trump campaign plays the theme from the Titanic at his rally.”

Trump’s penchant for using unconventional music at his rallies has frequently drawn criticism. From patriotic anthems like Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” to unexpected picks like the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” and musical theater numbers from “The Phantom of the Opera,” Trump’s musical choices have often been met with disapproval from the artists themselves.

The unauthorized use of music has become a recurring issue for the Trump campaign, with many high-profile musicians publicly disavowing Trump’s use of their songs at his events.

In 2016, a group of musicians, including Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, Adele, and Pharrell Williams, sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Trump campaign, demanding that they stop using their music without permission.

Despite the backlash, the Trump campaign has continued to use music without the artists’ consent, leading to numerous lawsuits and further alienating musicians from the former president.

Dion’s public disapproval of Trump’s use of her music is a testament to the growing resistance among musicians to their work being associated with political figures or parties without their consent.

The unauthorized use of copyrighted music not only raises legal concerns but also devalues the artist’s artistic integrity and undermines their creative control over their作品.

As the backlash against Trump’s unauthorized use of music continues, it remains to be seen whether future political campaigns will learn from this example and respect the rights of musicians to decide how their work is used.