The White House TikTok account used Katy Perry's song "Firework" over a video of military strikes in Iran. Perry wanted the world to know she's very upset by this, posting on X that she was "appalled and angry."
"I did not approve this, I was not asked, and I absolutely do not condone it," she wrote on X.
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.
— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) July 25, 2026
I wrote this song to be an anthem of hope, healing, and…
"I wrote this song to be an anthem of hope, healing, and inner strength for people going through their darkest personal moments. 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," Perry's post read.
Here's the video:
Iran has been warned. 🎆
— Rev DQ 🇺🇸🐸🍿 (@RevDQ) July 23, 2026
- @WhiteHouse on TikTok pic.twitter.com/wKrLsJq3gg
There's just one problem with Perry's complaints. Several years ago, Perry sold her music catalog for $225 million, and because of that, the song is under a universal license agreement, so any TikTok user can put her song on their videos. Including the White House.
Lmao it’s not your song you sold the rights.
— 0HOUR1 (@__0HOUR1_) July 25, 2026
Shut up and go make out with your communist boyfriend .
She's rich and dating Justin Trudeau.
They don’t need to ask you because you sold the rights to your music and the song is covered by a blanket licensing agreement for use of music on TikTok.https://t.co/FRmlBkuFcX
— Billboard Chris 🌎 (@BillboardChris) July 26, 2026
But she desperately wanted to play the victim here.
Katy Perry sold the rights to her catalog for $225 million.
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 25, 2026
TikTok has a blanket licensing agreement allowing users — including The White House — to use thousands of songs.
She took hundreds of millions of dollars and now is complaining.
Not how it works.
Opinion disregarded. https://t.co/AY0Q0Mii14 pic.twitter.com/hSrSiBnhlP
You'd think her publicist or lawyer would have reminded her of this before she made her pearl-clutching post.
Blah, blah, then don’t license your music if you don’t want it used.
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) July 26, 2026
However, I don’t know how you’d make money if you stopped licensing your music because no one is buying it anymore and your last tour barely moved tickets. https://t.co/17BFGSCcwK
People are over this sort of nonsense.
The Trump administration is trying to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, which would lead to never-ending, devastating war that would reach parts of Europe and, eventually, the United States.