The Politics of Silence
Music°08 The Illusion of Control
by Agota Marija · · 6 min read
At a time when some claim “political neutrality”, there are those who recognize that art and politics cannot be separated; one does not exist without the other. This is for those people.
Music has always been political. To ignore that or pretend that taking a stance against injustice is something new is to ignore years and years of artists standing up for what they believe in. From Billie Holiday and her 1939 release “Strange Fruit” emphasizing black suffering in the US to Bob Marley’s 1975 release “Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)”, which called out the major issue of poverty and hunger in Jamaica. Art has always been political. The fight has always been alive. But one would think that 50 years later, at a time when people claim we live in a “more woke” time than ever, that artists would be able to perform this right without the fear of being silenced. Yet, here we are.
As I’m sure, or at least I truly hope, all of you are aware, there is currently a genocide going on in Palestine. As of February 2026, almost 80 thousand Palestinians have been reported killed in the war in Gaza. And that number keeps on growing at a more rapid scale every single day. Every day the US sends more and more money to Israel in order to keep the genocide going. Every day you come across someone denying the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people when it has even been wiped off of Google Maps. It’s true, the Gaza Strip along with the West Bank supposedly resides in Israel now. Every day, I am left wondering: how is this still going on? What can I do? Anyone would think that to call out an ethnic cleansing that is happening on such a large scale would be a given. Anyone can hope. Hope, because this isn’t the reality of the situation
As I’m sure, or at least I truly hope, all of you are aware, there is currently a genocide going on in Palestine. As of February 2026, almost 80 thousand Palestinians have been reported killed in the war in Gaza. And that number keeps on growing at a more rapid scale every single day. Every day the US sends more and more money to Israel in order to keep the genocide going. Every day you come across someone denying the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people when it has even been wiped off of Google Maps. It’s true, the Gaza Strip along with the West Bank supposedly resides in Israel now. Every day, I am left wondering: how is this still going on? What can I do? Anyone would think that to call out an ethnic cleansing that is happening on such a large scale would be a given. Anyone can hope. Hope, because this isn’t the reality of the situation.
I’m writing this article freshly after Macklemore was kicked off of Ed Sheeran’s tour for being an artist who is outspoken about the genocide currently happening in Palestine. Again, something you would think all of your favorite artists would gladly denounce. This isn’t the first time Macklemore has been vocal about his support for the Palestinian people. In May of 2024, he even released the song “Hind’s Hall,” which delved into the need for freedom for the people of Palestine. Because all humans deserve freedom. On September 4th, 2026, while opening for Ed Sheeran, Macklemore gave a speech in between songs telling the Palestinian people, especially those of Gaza and the occupied West Bank, that “we have not forgotten about them.” Again, one would think it would be a given to support people going through a time of suffering, to remind them that we here in the Global West see them, support them and fight for them. Yet, what actually happened after he gave this speech? The Israeli American Council called for a petition to remove the rest of the tour shows.
So, what happened? Did Ed Sheeran stand by his dear friend, for his right to express his beliefs even if they aren’t ones he necessarily agrees with? Did the venues themselves get called out? No, instead he was kicked off the tour. Venues explicitly told the touring manager they would not allow for the rest of the shows to happen if Macklemore was on the lineup. All because he stood on his truth, a truth that I truly believe one day will be universal.
I support the fight for the freedom of the people of Palestine, because to me that is the only way. However, what I support even more than that is every artist being able to fight for what they believe in. For the right to make music political and for that political message to be one that is not controled by dominant regimes or the corrupt people in power. Instead, for the message to be one completely up to you, without the fear of being silenced, losing money, audiences, and for some, your livelihood. In response to Macklemore’s statement pushing for a free Palestine, Pink decided to call him out for supposed anti-semitism in a message where she called Hamas a terrorist state that the Palestinian need to be freed from. Not from the Israeli state, which kills at a rate of at least 8 Palestinians per day.
And as Macklemore himself mentioned, he is an established artist, therefore, he isn’t the victim in this situation. But I would argue that we’re all victims here. Victims of control. But that doesn’t mean the silence should stop you. If you have to, scream it at the top of every building. Hide it in every song, every melody, every beat. Because what is the point of creating art that says nothing? Art is meant to make you feel, think and at times disturb. Because reality is disturbing. The extraordinary Nina Simone has said that “An artist’s duty, as far as I’m concerned, is to reflect the times”. So, fulfill your duty.
It might sound quite banal when I say we have to fight against this control. But it’s the only way. To keep creating even when you are being silenced is resistance. To create music that uplifts people while still acknowledging the reality around you is resistance. And to me, resistance is taking agency back. Resistance is acknowledging control but not allowing it to smother you. So please, never stop resisting. We don’t live in a time when we can afford to not be political.
The world is political, so music will be too. We cannot allow money to control music either. To choose which voices deserve to be heard and which silenced. So maybe the more we talk about it, the more we call out these venues, the more we take back control. Something that brings me a lot of peace is the fact that Finneas, Aaron Rowe, Beoga, and Lukas Graham completely dropped out of the tour after Macklemore publicly announced the entire situation. This tells me that the fight is alive, now more than ever. Music has always been political and as long as the world is too, the fight must continue. And from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. Never forget that.
Comments
No comments yet.
Log in to join the conversation.