Katy Perry Calls Out White House for Misusing Her Hit ‘Firefire’ in Iran‑Strike TikTok

On Thursday the White House’s official TikTok account posted a short video that stitched together grainy footage of U.S. strikes on Iranian targets with Katy Perry’s 2010 smash hit “Firework.” The move, apparently meant to highlight the administration’s foreign‑policy resolve, instantly sparked a backlash from the pop star herself.

Within minutes of the clip going live, Perry took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, “I’m a proud supporter of our troops, but using my music for political propaganda without permission? Not cool.” She added a brief clip of the song’s opening bars, then a screenshot of the White House video, underscoring her displeasure.

It’s not the first time the artist’s catalog has ended up in unexpected places. Earlier this year Perry struck a massive deal to sell the bulk of her music rights – roughly 90 percent of her catalog – for a reported $225 million. The agreement, brokered by a leading music‑rights firm, gave the buyer control over licensing the tracks for movies, commercials and, apparently, government‑produced social‑media posts.

While the buyer now technically holds the “master” and “publishing” rights, Perry noted that she still retains moral rights over how the songs are used. “I don’t have a say in where the money goes, but I care about where my art ends up,” she wrote, a sentiment echoed by many artists who have recently sold catalog deals.

The White House’s TikTok, which is overseen by the Office of Digital Strategy, has been praised for its savvy use of trending platforms, yet critics argue that it sometimes skirts the line between public‑service messaging and partisan promotion. In this case, the choice of “Firework” – a song about self‑empowerment and shining bright – felt oddly discordant against images of missiles exploding on the ground.

Legal experts say the White House likely obtained a standard synchronization license to pair the song with video, a routine step in any commercial or political use. However, the artist’s public objection highlights a growing tension: even when rights are sold, creators often wish to retain a voice over the cultural context of their work.

For her part, Perry promised to keep fighting for artists’ control over their creations, saying, “Music isn’t just a commodity; it’s a piece of who we are.” She hinted she might explore new ways to protect her future releases from similar political appropriations.

Meanwhile, the TikTok video remains up, gathering thousands of likes and comments, many of which echo Perry’s sentiment, questioning whether the government should use popular songs to sell a political narrative.