'I say free Palestine to my children': Paloma Faith clashes with Ed Sheeran over Macklemore fallout
Paloma Faith criticized Ed Sheeran for staying out of the Gaza debate after Macklemore’s tour removal, saying major artists cannot remain apolitical as she defended the rapper’s activism.
Singer Paloma Faith shared her stance on political activism in the music industry, stating she tells her children "Free Palestine" every night before bed. The comment came in response to the controversy surrounding Ed Sheeran's decision to leave the AMAs tour due to clashes with American rapper Macklemore over the tour's promoter. Sheeran claimed the decision was his, not the promoter's, while Macklemore announced he would no longer participate in the tour.
Faith criticized Sheeran's handling of the situation, arguing that his audience includes young people, often children, of all backgrounds. She suggested that celebrities cannot remain detached from political issues, stating, "I'm really glad I'm not Ed Sheeran right now because it's actually astounding and probably quite badly handled on the part of everyone who advises him, the whole team."
Faith, a long-time pro-Palestinian activist, defended Macklemore and the other supporting acts who left the tour, calling them "heroic." She stated that Sheeran would face practical challenges in stepping away from the tour but believed it was the right thing to do ideologically. Faith also defended Macklemore after accusations of having a "broader history of anti-Semitic rhetoric" were made, denying the claims and arguing that such accusations can silence people advocating for Palestinian rights.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
