Swedish pop sensation Zara Larsson has publicly rebuked the White House after a TikTok reel employed her track “Midnight Sun” to accompany footage of immigration enforcement actions. The video, which paired the song with scenes of ICE agents handcuffing men and loading them into vehicles, was captioned “never ending deportations,” a play on the lyric “never‑ending midnight sun.”
What the video showed
The reel spliced together multiple clips of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers conducting raids, creating a montage that suggested a routine of “deportations.” Although the White House later removed the song from the post, the video itself remains on its TikTok feed.
Larsson’s response
In a three‑minute reaction video posted to her own social channels, Larsson described the clip as “dehumanising.” The video, which has already amassed more than 4.2 million views on TikTok, featured her holding an “L” shape against her forehead and delivering a pointed critique:
- “The vast majority of these people who are undocumented are regular people with jobs and they're just trying to have a better future.”
- She called the White House’s approach “so crazy how everything is so memefied and so ‘ha‑ha‑ha’,” accusing the administration of using her song to sow “division.”
Larsson emphasized that the original lyrics celebrate a connection between people and nature, not a political message about immigration.
Earlier incidents and a broader pattern
Larsson is not the first artist to confront the administration over the use of her music. Earlier this year, she condemned a video that overlaid her hit “Lush Life” onto footage of President Donald Trump dancing at various events. Similar disputes have involved other high‑profile singers:
- Sabrina Carpenter and Ariana Grande warned the Trump administration not to use their songs in social‑media content.
- Taylor Swift’s seasonal track “August” was removed from a Trump‑era reel after the artist objected.
- Olivia Rodrigo’s song vanished from a video following her condemnation of its use for “hateful propaganda.”
These incidents illustrate a growing trend of musicians pushing back against political entities that appropriate their work without permission.
Implications for political communication
The episode raises questions about the ethics of using popular music to frame government messaging, especially on sensitive topics like immigration. By pairing a catchy pop song with images of enforcement actions, the White House risked trivialising the experiences of undocumented individuals, a concern Larsson highlighted in her critique.
What comes next?
While the specific TikTok post has been edited to remove the song, the broader conversation about artistic consent and political messaging continues. Artists like Larsson are leveraging their platforms to call out perceived misuse, and their responses are resonating with large online audiences, as evidenced by the millions of views on Larsson’s reaction video.
For observers, the incident underscores the power of cultural figures to shape public discourse and the need for political bodies to consider the ramifications of borrowing popular art without clear approval.
