Swedish pop star Zara Larsson has publicly criticized the White House for incorporating her song, Midnight Sun, into a social media video centered on immigration enforcement. The clip, which featured footage of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents handcuffing individuals and placing them into vehicles, was captioned with the phrase “never ending deportations,” a play on the lyrics from Larsson’s track.
While the song has been removed from the specific post following Larsson’s intervention, the video remains available on the official White House TikTok feed. In a direct response, the singer shared a three-minute video across her own social channels, which has since garnered more than 4.2 million views on TikTok. In the footage, Larsson condemns the reel as “so dehumanising,” emphasizing that the individuals shown in the video are “real people” who are often undocumented workers simply striving for a better future.
Larsson criticized the administration for what she described as the “memefied” approach to serious immigration issues, accusing officials of using her music to sow social division. She noted that her lyrics were originally intended to express a connection between humanity and nature, contrasting sharply with the political context of the White House reel. This is not the first time the singer has clashed with the administration; earlier this year, she voiced her disapproval when a video of President Donald Trump dancing was set to her song, Lush Life.
The singer joins a growing roster of high-profile artists who have taken a stand against the use of their music in Trump administration content. The White House has previously been forced to remove audio from various social media posts following public pushback from musicians. Notable instances include the removal of Taylor Swift’s track “August” from a reel in August, and the disappearance of an Olivia Rodrigo song after the artist publicly denounced its inclusion in what she labeled “hateful propaganda.” The report also notes that has contacted the White House for comment. The report also notes that as well as other US law enforcement personnel, handcuffing men and putting them into vehicles, the reel splices together multiple videos of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The report also notes that which then cuts to a selfie video of her using her fingers to hold an ‘L’ shape against her forehead, larsson reposted part of the original clip. The report also notes that the vast majority of these people who are undocumented are regular people with jobs and they’re just trying to have a better future”.
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