Katy Perry Condemns White House Use of ‘Firework’ in Military Strike Video

Katy Perry slammed the White House after it used her 2010 chart-topper “Firework” in a TikTok video depicting the US military striking Iran, stating that she had not authorized the use of the tune and had not been asked for her consent.

“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. I did not approve this, I was not asked, and I absolutely do not condone it,” Perry declared on Twitter.

Perry added that the lyrics and message of “Firework,” which she wrote as an anthem for hope and inner strength “during people’s darkest personal moments, not to glorify destruction or warfare.”

“I wrote this song to be an anthem of hope, healing, and inner strength for people going through their darkest personal moments,” she tweeted. “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. My music is for bringing people together, not celebrating warfare.”

According to MeidasTouch, the White House’s TikTok page is frequently used to share political and promotional content, including footage of the United States striking Iran that’s synchronized to Perry’s song, a mass-deportation hype video, meme videos focused on President Donald Trump, and posts promoting the president’s policies.

CNN reported that the White House created the TikTok account in August 2025, amid speculation about the app’s future following a bill aimed at blocking or forcing its sale, whose parent company, ByteDance, is based in China.

The first artist to publicly oppose the account’s use of popular music was Semisonic, a group from Minneapolis, who challenged the White House for using their 1998 single “Closing Time” in a video depicting a deported man in chains. Semisonic told The Associated Press that the organization hadn’t been asked for permission and had misunderstood the “joyful and hopeful theme” of their track. When inquired about it at the time, press secretary Karoline Leavitt commented to The Hollywood Reporter that the entire White House staff was “fully aligned with the president’s message.”

Foo Fighters and other artists like Isaac Hayes’ estate, Rufus Wainwright, Celine Dion, and Jack White have objected to Trump using their music in campaigns. Rolling Stone cited that the list of artists who protested this practice included Beyoncé, R.E.M., Guns N’ Roses, Rihanna, Phil Collins, ABBA, Bruce Springsteen, Adele, and Neil Young.