Katy Perry hits back at Trump: "Don't use my Firework to celebrate war"

Katy Perry has lashed out at the White House after discovering that “Firework,” one of her most celebrated hits, was used as the soundtrack for a video posted on TikTok about certain U.S. military operations. The pop star took to X to voice a strong stance, explaining that she was never consulted and that she considers pairing the song with images of bombings to be completely at odds with the track's original meaning.
“I am absolutely blindsided and disgusted that my song ‘Firework’ was used on the White House TikTok as a soundtrack to war footage. I did not approve nor was I even asked, and I would never approve such a use,” Perry wrote.

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.

I wrote this song to be an anthem of hope, healing, and…

— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) July 25, 2026

Released in 2010 on the album "Teenage Dream", "Firework" has over the years become one of the American singer's signature songs, conceived as an anthem to self-confidence and the ability to bounce back in difficult moments. This is precisely why Perry objected so forcefully to the context in which the song was used. "I wrote this song as an anthem of hope, healing and inner strength for people going through their own darkest personal moments," she explained. "Seeing a message of self-worth and encouragement weaponized as a soundtrack for destruction and violence is a complete violation of everything my song stands for."
The singer then summed up her position in one unequivocal line: "My music is meant to bring people together, not to celebrate war."

According to American media reports, the footage shared by the White House account showed several sequences related to U.S. military operations, including images of a strike on an unidentified target and the resulting explosions, without providing much context.
Perry thus joins the long list of musicians who in recent years have protested against the use of their songs in the American administration's political and institutional communications. Artists who have objected to similar uses include Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, Kesha, Zara Larsson, MGMT, Blue Öyster Cult and Jack White. In some cases the controversy involved videos tied to ICE and the Trump administration's immigration policies.
In Katy Perry's case, however, the story also raises questions about the rights to her catalogue. In 2023 the singer sold Litmus Music her interests in the masters and publishing of five albums released between 2008 and 2020, including “Teenage Dream” and therefore “Firework” as well. The sale of the catalogue, though, doesn't automatically mean that anyone can freely use “Firework” without authorization: the licenses required depend on the type of use, the platform, and the rights involved. If anything, the sale makes the relationship between the artist's personal wishes and the legal and financial control over the use of her music even more complicated.

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