OPINION: The Politics of Being Ed Sheeran Right Now
BY: JACKSON WELLS / STAFF WRITER
Ed Sheeran has always been the kind of musician who most people don’t have a strong enough opinion on. He has never got into any sort of controversy, and his music was harmless enough, so he was, at worst, overplayed.
He announced his latest tour, “The Loop,” this year alongside other artists who had fallen into a similar reputation as him. What Sheeran’s booking agents may not have realized is that one opener wasn’t quite the radio-friendly-yes-man everyone thought he was. That musician was Macklemore.
Back in the 2010s, Macklemore found success with hits like “Thrift Shop” and “Can’t Hold Us.” They’re eccentric pop rap radio hits, with not much substance to write home about. To the everyday listener, that’s kind of all he’s known for.
Now if you took a closer look at Macklemore's past accomplishments, you would really see an activist, dating all the way back to the rapper's first album. In his work, he’s fought for same-sex marriage, social equity in marginalized groups, and, most recently, released multiple songs touching on the ongoing genocide in Palestine.
When the time came for Macklemore to step on stage before Sheeran’s performance, he performed his usual chart-toppers without much of a reaction.
What really caught people’s attention was the speech that followed: “A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine.” His speech generally received a positive reaction from the crowd, cheering and clapping from the stands. Social media, however, had much more divisive things to say.
The internet (or more specifically, the trenches of many Instagram comment sections,) retaliated with racism, antisemitism and ignorance. As a result, there were behind-the-scenes venue meetings with Gillette Stadium, forcing Sheeran to drop Macklemore from the rest of his tour. The venues Sheeran was set to play would not let him continue if Macklemore was still attached to it.
Following the backlash, Sheeran offered his ‘sincerest’ apologies via teleprompter: “I have tried in my career not to be a political commentator of any kind, because I want my music and shows to be about unity, not division; about humanity, not politics.”
His neutrality comes into question after many pointed out his past stances in politics, including signing a letter against Brexit published in The Times, urging Congress to pass the Equality Act, and playing a concert in support of Ukraine.
Ed Sheeran has since lost 500,000+ followers and listeners, with Macklemore gaining 2,000,000+, in support.
It then came as no surprise when remaining opening acts FINNEAS, Aaron Bowe, Lukas Graham, and supporting band Beoga followed suit and announced that they would also be dropping out of the tour in solidarity.
“The Loop” continued on, selling tickets to a show with no opening acts and even less enthusiasm.
Macklemore responded in an Instagram post by donating all of his tour earnings, $1 million dollars, to several Palestinian organizations. Venue CEO Robert Kraft, who was heavily involved in the booting of Macklemore, took to the official Gillette Stadium social media accounts to clap back with a $2 million donation to supposedly similar causes.
It didn’t take long for Jonah Valdez, a journalist from The Intercept, to look at public tax documents and expose his money to be really be given to Friends of the Israel Defense Forces.
It’s also an interesting move, noted by many, that Robert Kraft, a Jewish man, has also let Kanye West previously sell out the same arena he removed Macklemore from.
With performance plans disrupted, Macklemore took it upon himself to kickstart a “Free Palestine Tour.” The shows would give 100% of the proceeds towards Gaza Soup Kitchen, Middle East Children’s Alliance, Medical Aid for Palestinians, Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, Palestinian Youth Movement, Jewish Voice for Peace and Heal for Palestine.
Special guests will be announced for each stop and it will make sure to touch down in Sheeran’s hometown of London, England.
Artists with large platforms have the ability to bring attention to humanitarian crises and influence public opinions and support. As the conflict in Gaza continues to affect civilians' access to food, clothing, and shelter, some artists, including Macklemore, have chosen to use their platforms to speak out. Their responses raise broader questions about the role of public figures and political advocacy and what it really means to be a “celebrity activist.”
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