Growing up, I was always encouraged to stand up for what I believe in — no matter the cost. This value was instilled in me from a young age by my grandmother. During her college years, she had (allegedly) gotten herself on a list within the FBI for protesting the Latter-Day Saints’ church’s racist policies against Black people. Luckily, she got out of that incident with no repercussions, but standing up for what was right could have cost her everything. And yet, she did it anyway. This is why it was so disappointing to see Ed Sheeran’s concert tour make headlines after the tour promoter dropped the opener Macklemore for saying what he believed in: “Free Palestine.”
The punishment instantly backfired. Besides the media frenzy, all of Sheeran’s other openers and his band dropped out of the tour. Alone onstage, Sheeran broke down during his first show after the fallout, saying he “never wanted to be an activist-musician.”
Art is a creative form that spreads a message. Sheeran’s songs, no matter how bland and manufactured, spread messages. He claims this himself, saying his songs are about “love, hope and unity.” Unfortunately, love, hope and unity are all under attack in Gaza. Since October 2023, at least 21,289 Palestinian children have been killed. Entire family units up to four generations back have been destroyed by Israeli bombings. Children are forced to live in tents, unable to go to school, play outside or have any semblance of a normal childhood. This is not a political issue, it is a humanitarian one. And choosing to stay neutral is still harmful. When you do not choose a side between the oppressed and the oppressor, you are automatically complicit in the oppressor’s actions. Sheeran’s silence speaks volumes.
Sheeran’s belief that his words don’t have an impact on the world around him is an ignorant one. He has 80,960,370 monthly listeners on Spotify alone; clearly, people care about what he has to say through his music. Sheeran underestimates the impact that celebrities in similar fields as him have had on humanitarian relief in Gaza. The Weeknd donated $2 million towards organizations assisting with food access in Palestine. Angelina Jolie visited the Rafah Crossing to meet with aid workers and patients to discuss how to provide more aid to Gaza. Macklemore pledged $1 million — his net earnings made from Sheeran’s tour — to various Palestinian aid organizations. They have all used their large platforms for good. Sheeran doesn’t have to donate money. Simply speaking out could help humanize Palestinian civilians who have been centered in a conflict they have not taken part in. Sheeran needs to stick to his values and love the world, even when it’s not the type of love that Western society encourages.
Sheeran doesn’t have to pick between his music and advocacy, either. He can unite the two to create a better message. And he wouldn’t be the first. Benefit concerts have been prominent in the U.S. for years now. Mustafa the Poet organized an “Artists for Aid” benefit concert January 2026 and raised $5.5 million for the Sudanese American Physicians Association and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.
I won’t sit back and claim that none of the aforementioned celebrities have faced any consequences from advocating for Palestinians. As we saw with Macklemore, many of them have been dropped from gigs. Some, such as Mark Ruffalo, have allegedly been blacklisted from major film companies and have had smear campaigns against them because of their advocacy. Unfortunately, speaking up for human rights can cost you in the industry.
But that doesn’t mean we need to separate politics from art to protect artists — we need to bring them closer together. Bringing art back to its roots will remind the creators and their audiences that art, at its core, is a form of self-expression. It demonstrates opinions and beliefs about the world and can connect people from all different walks of life. Art is becoming increasingly capitalistic, and I don’t necessarily blame Sheeran for succumbing to that. We shouldn’t have to live in a world where artists have to tailor their creations to appeal to the consumers in order to continue having a platform. Sheeran can help change this by not watering down his morals for a check from Robert Kraft. If Sheeran truly wants to continue singing about love, hope and unity, he has to fight against the oppressors in a world that prevent those values from being expressed.
While Sheeran did not specifically sign up to “play the role of activist,” he did sign up to create art as a form of expression, resistance and creativity. It is my hope, then, that he fully understands the power he has to create a world in which children from around the globe — both Palestinians and Israelis — can listen to his music. If a college-student-turned-schoolteacher can do it, then a world-famous musician certainly can.
Contact Avett Proctor at aproctor@oxy.edu
