Do not use my music, Ariana Grande tells White House

Ariana Grande on the red carpet
Grande described the White House’s video featuring her song as “heinous nonsense”.

Pop star Ariana Grande has officially asked the White House not to use her 2024 hit “Bye” in videos or advertisements. The request came after a TikTok reel, shared Monday, paired the track with a montage of ICE agents handcuffing migrants, with the caption: “Bye‑bye… President Trump has delivered the most secure border in history”.

Grandes comment on the post was: “Please do not use my music in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense.” The clip was later muted, and the artist’s caption removed, but users noted the sudden absence of her voice.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson responded that the real danger lies with “criminal illegal aliens who have injured and murdered innocent American citizens.” The video was part of a campaign following the Senate’s approval of a $70 bn (approx £52 bn) funding package for immigration agencies for the remaining two and a half years of President Trump’s term.

Grande’s stance joins a growing list of musicians who have denied the Trump administration use of their music. In 2023, Sabrina Carpenter demanded her song “Juno” not be used in a White House ICE compilation, while artists such as ABBA, Céline Dion and Beyoncé opposed the campaign’s use of their work in 2024 rallies.