Radiohead Demands Removal Of Their Song From ICE Social Media Post

British rock band Radiohead has publicly demanded that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) remove their song from a video posted on the agency's social media accounts. The dispute highlights ongoing tensions over artists' music being used without permission in political content.

On February 27, Radiohead, composed of Thom Yorke, Ed O'Brien, Colin Greenwood, Jonny Greenwood, and Philip Selway, issued a statement to outlets concerning their song being used on a video posted by ICE on social media.

The statement read, "We demand that the amateurs in control of the ICE social media account take it down. It ain't funny, this song means a lot to us and other people, and you don't get to appropriate it without a fight. Also, go f-ck yourselves..."

Radiohead, formed in 1985, is a critically acclaimed group known for its innovative approach and is regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the past few decades.

On February 18, ICE, in a cross-post with the Department of Homeland Security and The White House, posted a short video featuring the photos of people who they claim were victims of those who have "no right to be" in the United States.

The caption read, "Thousands of American families have been torn apart because of criminal illegal alien violence. American citiens raped and murdered by those who have no right to be in our country." The caption concluded with the words, "This is who we fight for. This is our why."

The music used for the video is the chorale cover of Radiohead's song "Let Down," from their 1997 album "OK Computer." It's a melancholy tune with lyrics that reflect feelings of alienation and disillusionment.

As of writing, ICE has not removed Radiohead's song from the post.

Radiohead's guitarist, Greenwood, also spoke out in early February, requesting that his music be removed from the documentary "Melania." Greenwood composed music for the 2017 movie "Phantom Thread," directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.

A statement on behalf of Green and Anderson said that although Greenwood wasn't the copyright owner of the musical score, he wasn't consulted in regard to its use for "Melania," which is a violation of his composer agreement. "As a result, Jonny and Paul Thomas Anderson have asked for it to be removed from the documentary," the statement read.

"Melania" producer Marc Beckman spoke to Variety and said they licensed the music, adding that Radiohead was one of his favorite bands. "We spent top dollars for all that music, and we're thrilled to have that song included in the film. If they're trying to distance themselves from us, for political reasons, that's just unfortunate," he explained.

Radiohead's frontman, Yorke, has also made his opinions about Donald Trump known. In 2017, the singer called Trump a "f-cking clown" on Twitter after the president started the process to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, an international treaty on climate change.

The departure from the treaty took effect on January 27, which means the country is no longer legally bound to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In 2019, Yorke mocked Trump by reposting a photo showing Obama's and Trump's UK approval ratings, 72% to 21% respectively, and captioned the post, "ha ha haha ha ha haha..."

During the elections in 2020, Yorke took to social media once again and called Trump a "tin pot dictator, utterly bereft of moral authority."

Radiohead is just the latest band to demand that their song be removed from any political use. As The Blast previously reported, Olivia Rodrigo commented, "Ew, don't use my sound ever again, ty," when Trump used "deja vu" to commemorate his comeback to the White House.

Meanwhile, veteran singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen penned a song titled "Streets of Minneapolis," condemning ICE, which was criticized by the White House.

Other musicians and singers who are opposed to Trump using their music include Beyonce, Foo Fighters, Celine Dion, Neil Young, The Rolling Stones, Rihanna, and Phil Collins.