Swedish supergroup ABBA has requested that Donald Trump cease using their music at his campaign rallies, but the Republican presidential nominee’s campaign maintains it has the necessary permissions.
“ABBA recently discovered that their music and videos were being used without authorization at a Trump event, as shown in online videos,” the band had said in a statement to The Associated Press. ABBA, known for hits like “Waterloo,” “The Winner Takes It All,” and “Money, Money, Money,” added, “As a result, ABBA and its representatives have promptly asked for the removal and deletion of such content. No request has been received; therefore, no permission or license has been granted.”
A spokesperson for the Trump campaign, however, stated that they had obtained a license. “The campaign had a license to play ABBA music through our agreement with BMI (Broadcast Music Inc) and ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers),” per AP.
ABBA Isn’t Alone: Many Celebrities Have Told Trump ‘No’
ABBA joins a long list of performers who’ve objected to Trump using their songs. After a video of Celine Dion performing her hit “My Heart Will Go On” was broadcast at a Trump campaign rally in Bozeman, Montana last month, the response from her team was swift asking the candidate to stop using the song. Beyoncé too blocked Trump from using her song “Freedom” in a campaign video.
The Trump campaign has a history of using performers’ songs without proper permission, even during the 2016 and 2020 elections. This has included artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, Phil Collins, Pharrell, John Fogerty, Neil Young, Eddy Grant, Panic! at the Disco, R.E.M., Guns N’ Roses, and British superstar Adele. Adele specifically requested that Trump stop playing her songs at political rallies.
Campaigns don’t need an artist’s express permission to play their songs at rallies if the political organization or the venue has gotten what’s known as a blanket license from the performing rights organizations ASCAP and BMI.
