German pop band Alphaville has accused Donald Trump of using its hit song “Forever Young” without permission, saying it strongly opposes his political views and is moving to have the video removed from the internet.
The backlash follows an AI generated video shared by the president on his Truth Social platform that features the song, prompting the band to publicly distance itself and ban any further use of its music.
Newsweek reached out to the White House and Alphaville via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Trump’s use of popular songs has repeatedly drawn objections from artists and fans. From Taylor Swift fans complaining about the use of one of her songs by the White House to a growing lists of artists who have asked the president not to use their music, Alphaville is the latest act to speak out.
The president also has a long history of upsetting musical acts and their estates by using music without permission, with previous backlash from the estates of Prince, Tom Petty and George Harrison on behalf of the Beatles.
What To Know
In a statement posted on Instagram on April 16, Alphaville said it had learned that Trump used “Forever Young” in one of his videos.
“As we, the band Alphaville, do not in any way agree with Trump’s political views and, in fact, largely abhor them, we will ensure that this post is removed from the internet immediately,” the statement read.
The band added: “We hereby prohibit any further use of Alphaville music by the Republican Party and their president.”
The message was signed by Alphaville singer Marian Gold and ended with the line, “With kind regards from old Europe.”
The statement was shared in both English and German and quickly drew thousands of likes and supportive comments from fans with tens of thousands of reactions on Instagram.
“That’s why the world loves you,” said one commenter. Another wrote: “This American fan fully approves of your statement.”
The statement was later shared across other parts of the internet, including Reddit where it has gained a further 5,000 upvotes and more comments. One Reddit user commented: “This admin loves using people’s music without their permission, huh?”
Another said: “Loved Alphaville since I was a teenager even though none of my peers knew who these guys were. Glad to see this!”
What Happens Next
Alphaville said it would take steps to have the video removed, though it did not detail what specific action it plans to pursue. Donald Trump has not publicly responded to the band’s statement.
