Katy Perry criticizes White House for using Firework in war-related TikTok

Katy Perry has criticized the White House after one of her songs was used in a TikTok video about the war with Iran. The short video paired a clip of Firework with footage of explosions and a message that said Iran had been warned. Perry said the song was intended to represent hope, healing, and selfworth, and called its use alongside violent imagery a misuse of what it stands for. The White House has not publicly responded, and the audio has since been removed from the original post. The report also notes that Perry has limited control over some of the song’s uses because she sold publishing rights to part of her catalog in 2023, while Universal Music Group still controls the masters and licensing for the recording.