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Gloria Steinem recently shared her?choice words on?Republican nominee hopeful Donald Trump, and it seems’singer Adele is similarly unimpressed?with the businessman.
Despite Trump being a fan of the superstar (he was spotted at her concerts in NYC), Adele has told Trump?that he does not have permission to use her songs at campaign rallies after fans expressed their anger that he was using the singer’s hits as his warm-up music.
He?has consistently played Adele’s smash hit Rolling In The Deep, with its ?we could have had it all? refrain, in what we assume is an effort to’stoke up the atmosphere at campaign events before his appearance. Trump?has also played the line from the James Bond theme?Skyfall -?“when it crumbles, we will stand tall, face it all together? – during a previous speech.
Given that Adele doesn’t like endorsements to begin with, fans openly questioned ?whether Trump had actually received her permission to use her music, and you guessed it: she said no way.
“Adele has not given permission for her music to be used for any political campaigning,??the statement read. But Trump wasn’t?the only one?chancing his arm in this regard; fellow?Republican nominee hopeful Mike Huckabee tried to get in on the popularity of one of Adele’s biggest hits Hello, and use the music in his videos on social media, before a copyright claim forced him to mute the music.
Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler has also ordered Trump to stop using his songs (he’s a fan of the tune Dream On, apparently). According to The Guardian, attorneys for Tyler sent a cease and desist letter to Trump’s campaign committee, which said Trump did ?not have our client’s permission to use Dream On? or any of Tyler’s other songs and that it ?gives the false impression that he is connected with, or endorses, Mr Trump’s presidential bid.? Singers Neil Young and REM’s?Michael Stipe have also made similar public statements.
However, thanks to strict US Government laws, there isn’t much an artist can do to stop their songs being used in political rallies, as long as a license fee is bought for the song in question. Simply playing a recording of a song apparently does?not count as a sufficient endorsement, especially as in Adele’s case, she has more or less’said she doesn’t support him.
So, essentially, apart from publicly voicing their displeasure over the whole thing, an artist has little power over how their creative works get used politically, which doesn’t seem right.
Via The Guardian