Ed Sheeran, one of the most inoffensive pop artists of the 2010s and ’20s, is feeling the heat for his “apolitical” stance — which is all of a sudden very political.
The “Shape of You” singer-songwriter has been on the defense since Monday, when Seattle rapper Macklemore announced that he had been dropped from Sheeran’s Loop tour. The dismissal stems from pro-Palestinian remarks Macklemore made on stage while opening for Sheeran earlier this month. Now four more acts have withdrawn from Sheeran’s tour in solidarity with Macklemore and his message to “Free Palestine.”
In a 12-page Instagram statement, Macklemore (whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty) alleged that New England Patriots and stadium owner Robert Kraft asked Sheeran to drop Macklemore from the tour.
According to Macklemore, Sheeran told him during a phone call that “Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: If Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.” The Kraft family owns Gillette Stadium, where Sheeran is slated to play later this month.
“[Sheeran] also told me that the words ‘Free Palestine’ and the image of the Palestinian flag were hurtful to a lot of people he spoke with,” Macklemore wrote. “I told him that if those words were more offensive than tens of thousands of Palestinian children being killed by Israel, then there was a fundamental disconnect between where those people stood and where I stood. But he couldn’t get past his public facing, ‘I don’t take sides.’”
Sheeran responded, writing that the fans attending his shows “do not expect a political forum.”
“I choose to use my fame and platform to be a place of safety and sanctuary, to maintain diplomacy and keep conversations open, not closed…”
It’s unlikely that Sheeran intended to blow the Palestinian conversation wide open when he closed down Macklemore, but that’s exactly what has happened since he decided to bow to pressure from billionaire NFL owners. Now everyone from “Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder to activist Greta Thunberg to children’s YouTuber Ms. Rachel is voicing their support for Macklemore, and Sheeran has lost other supporting acts for the tour.
Finneas (brother and producer to Billie Eilish), Irish singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe and Danish pop band Lukas Graham all announced Tuesday that they were leaving the tour. The Irish folk band Beoga, who play with Sheeran during his set, also withdrew.
“Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed,” Finneas wrote on Instagram. “I have decided to withdraw from my upcoming tour dates with Ed Sheeran. I stand with Palestine and its people.”
The artist was slated to perform six South American shows in November and December.
When Rowe announced that he would not be finishing the North American leg of the tour, he wrote: “I don’t take the decision lightly. … as Irish people we know all too well about genocide, forced famine and violent occupation.”
The incident that launched a thousand-plus Instagram posts took place at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium earlier this month when Macklemore said from the stage that he wanted the people of Gaza and the occupied West Bank to know “we have not forgotten about them.”
He shouted “Free Palestine,” projected images of the devastation in Gaza and performed “Hind’s Hall,” a song inspired by anti-war protesters who renamed a building on the Columbia University campus in memory of a 5-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed by Israeli fire. Critics of his comments include pop star Pink and pro-Israel groups that circulated petitions to have Macklemore kicked off the bill.
Macklemore has since gone into great detail about how he respects and care for Sheeran, but he cannot stay silent about what the UN Independent Commission, numerous human rights groups and a growing number of Americans now refer to as the Gaza genocide.
Sheeran may claim to keep his music out of politics, but that’s not entirely the case. He used his pop star platform to raise awareness about the human toll of another war. In March of 2022 he headlined the televised Concert for Ukraine benefit that raised more than $17.6 million for the Disasters Emergency Committee. He explained: “I felt like I wanted to do something.”
Kraft put out his own statement this week as well, writing that he believed Macklemore’s comments and actions were about more than raising awareness about the suffering of Palestinians.
“Much of my time and attention for the last decade has been focused on the fight against antisemitism and hate of all kinds, and I feel a responsibility to stand up when I believe that line has been crossed,” Kraft continued.
Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., was among several venues that objected to hosting Sheeran’s tour if Macklemore remained on the bill.
Yet in June, Ye (a.k.a. Kanye West), was allowed to perform two shows at the venue despite his history of antisemitic statements, and a 2025 song entitled “Heil Hitler” in which he samples snippets of the Fuhrer’s speeches. He did not play the song on tour.
There was blowback, but not enough to stop the show: Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) hosted a high-profile news conference at the Florida Holocaust Museum condemning Ye’s performance, and launched a Change.org petition that gathered more than 11,000 signatures. Protest vehicles circled the stadium during opening night.
Ye’s antisemitism is well-documented. In October 2022, he posted on Twitter that he was going to go “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.” He also accused Jewish people of “black balling” him and those who opposed his agenda.
Macklemore has repeatedly said that his statements and actions are against the actions of Israel, not the Jewish people.
“To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters: criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you,” Macklemore reportedly said to the audience attending Sheeran’s show in New Jersey earlier this month. “My message is for peace — love for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect and equality.”
Today, Sheeran contends his aim is to entertain, not inflame, and there’s every reason to believe he’s sincere in that claim. Sheeran’s efforts to remain neutral in conversations about this war vs. that other one in Ukraine have dragged him deeper into the mire.
Sheeran should not have to share his views on the bloodshed and suffering in Gaza and the West Bank. But he should take personal responsibility for dropping Macklemore, or stand by the artists on his tour and withdraw from the venues that pressured him to drop Macklemore.
But by caving to the demands of billionaire NFL owners rather than taking responsibility for Macklemore’s ouster, he has thrown in for a side. The side where power and money stifle dissent.
The post By dumping pro-Palestinian Macklemore from his tour, apolitical Ed Sheeran is suddenly political appeared first on Los Angeles Times.
