Ed Sheeran is one of the most successful singer-songwriters of all time. But he doesn’t do politics. At least, that’s what he told the world this week amid the Macklemore controversy.
Macklemore was removed from Sheeran’s Loop Tour after making pro-Palestinian comments and sharing images of the devastation facing Gaza during his performances on the tour.
Sheeran made clear the decision to drop Macklemore was ultimately one made by the tour’s promoters, including billionaire Robert Kraft, the owner of Gillette Stadium and a donor to Israel.
The fallout was hard and swift. All support acts for the Loop Tour, including Finneas (the brother of Billie Eilish), Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe, plus Sheeran’s backing band Beoga left the tour, stating their unequivocal support for Palestinians.
Over his career, Sheeran has sold more than 120 million records, and he is widely adored by people of all ages, across cultures and religions. For a long time, his apolitical approach to public life hasn’t seen him encounter too many issues — but not this time.
His statement, noting that he is appalled by the “conflict between Israel and Palestine” didn’t go down well.
“The suffering and pain caused on both sides is a human tragedy. There are too many wars across the world causing immeasurable pain, none of which should be tolerated,” he said.
“I have always used my platform to bring people from all backgrounds and cultures together and this won’t ever change. Those who have been to one of my shows will know that they are about unity, joy, escapism, love and a place for everyone to feel welcome”
“I am not complicit. I have my personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn’t mean I don’t have them, and it doesn’t mean I don’t care. Nor does it mean I don’t support causes in my own, personal way.”
“There is a reason I do not use my professional platform for politics – my audience includes young people, often children, of all backgrounds.”
Like Sheeran, many of the world’s most influential muscians, pop stars and bands have audiences of people from all backgrounds, including young people and children. But it doesn’t stop them from speaking out on political issues when the time calls for it. In fact, for many artists, politics is part of their musical expression.
Below we take a look at several women artists who haven’t shied away from taking a stance in recent years.
Olivia Rodrigo
The most recent and obvious example is American pop star Olivia Rodrigo, a former Disney child star whose audience is made up of mostly children and young women. Rodrigo has consistently taken a strong stance against the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, sharing posts to her Instagram stories that have pointed out the lack of food, water and medical care in the region, and noting a personal donation to UNICEF.
Earlier this year, she released a music video for her charity track The Book of Love, which featured footage captured by children living in Gaza and Sudan.
She also wore traditional Palestinian tatreez embroidery at her Daisy Chain Fields all-women festival. Rodrigo worked with Melinda French Gates to raise and give $20 million to women’s charities off the back of the festival.
She also told the New York Times that speaking out against human suffering was a basic moral duty.
Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa is another pop star who has been strong in taking political stances, including when it comes to Gaza. In May, she reposted a graphic from the group Artists4Ceasefire, along with the hashtag #AllEyesOnRafah in the wake of Israel’s bombing of the city.
“Burning children alive can never be justified. The whole world is mobilising to stop the Israeli genocide. Please show your solidarity with Gaza,” she wrote.
In a subsequent interview, she said she was always sure to check herself before making any kind of political statement, but ultimately believed making these statements was for the greater good, even if it led to a commercial loss.
Dua Lipa also uses her incredibly popular book club to interview authors and talk about political and social issues with her audience.
Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish has been a prominent supporter of Palestinians, and has also used her platform to protest other issues, including standing up to the Trump administration over its Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. While accepting Song of the Year at the 2026 Grammy Awards, she declared that “no one is illegal on stolen land”. “Our voices really do matter and the people matter,” she continued, before saying “F—k ICE” (which was censored) on the CBS telecast.
Eilish also recently donated $11.5 million to climate change causes and used another acceptance speech to call out billionaires, some of whom were in the room.
“There’s a few people in here that have a lot more money than me. If you’re a billionaire, why are you a billionaire? No hate, but yeah — give your money away, shorties.”
Beyoncé
It goes without saying that Beyoncé has always been open about her political preferences and has spoken out on a number of socials issues, including very prominently on police brutality and injustice, and the Black Lives Matter movement. Memorably, her SuperBowl half-time performance in 2016 made reference to the Black Lives Matter movement, the Black Panther Party and Malcolm X.
Beyoncé gave Kamala Harris permission to use her song ‘Freedom’ from Lemonade as her 2024 presidential campaign song, and has also endorsed a number of Democratic presidential candidates including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Cardi B
American rapper Cardi B has long spoken out on political issues, even sitting down with Bernie Sanders in 2019 for an interview that covered topics including healthcare, student debt, minimum wages and immigration. She went on to interview Joe Biden for ELLE magazine ahead of the 2020 election. She has spoken about a range of issues, including police violence and racism.