Lorde is currently touring globally as part of her ‘Ultrasound World Tour’ to promote her latest album, ‘Virgin’. And in the meantime, she is using her platform to amplify the voices of the oppressed.
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When pop superstar Lorde took the stage at Madison Square Garden this week, she wasn’t just singing hits. She was speaking out. As the crowd cheered her hit ‘Team’, the New Zealand singer paused, raised her voice, and declared: “Free f-ing Palestine!” The arena lights flashed red, green, white, and black, echoing the colors of the Palestinian flag.
By Thursday, Apple Music users in Israel reported that Lorde’s songs were no longer accessible on the platform. The sudden disappearance comes amid a growing movement of artists boycotting Israel over its treatment of Palestinians.
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Lorde herself is a known supporter of the “No Music for Genocide” initiative, which encourages musicians to restrict access to their work in Israel as a form of protest.
Interestingly, her songs are still available to Israeli listeners on Spotify. Fans in Israel were left wondering why they could no longer stream the music of the artist who has consistently taken a stand on political issues.
Lorde’s advocacy is not new. In 2017, she canceled a scheduled concert in Tel Aviv after activists encouraged her to join the cultural boycott of Israel, aligned with the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
That initiative calls on artists, businesses, and governments to pressure Israel to end its occupation of Gaza and other Palestinian territories.
Lorde is currently touring globally as part of her ‘Ultrasound World Tour’ to promote her latest album, ‘Virgin’. And in the meantime, she is using her platform to amplify the voices of the oppressed.
Historically, Apple has refrained from taking a political stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict. This comes despite calls from activists to cut ties with Israel. The tech giant maintains a major presence in the country, which is home to a booming tech and startup ecosystem.
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