Jess Glynne, the British vocalist behind the viral Jet2 holiday meme track "Hold My Hand," has spoken out against the White House's use of her music to mock the ongoing mass deportations in the United States. On Tuesday, the official X account of the White House shared a video that appeared to depict immigrants being deported from the country. Typically, the Jet2 holiday meme is employed to lampoon unfortunate events, and it was utilized in the White House video with a caption that echoed the voiceover from the meme, stating, "When ICE books you a one-way Jet2 holiday to deportation, nothing beats it!"
Reacting to the social media post on Wednesday, Glynne, the singer of "Rather Be," expressed her disapproval of the administration's appropriation of her song, which she intended to spread positivity. "This honestly makes me sick," she penned on her Instagram Story. "My music is all about love, unity, and spreading positivity – never about division or hate."
Glynne is by no means the first artist to publicly denounce the Trump administration for using their music. In March, rock band Semisonic similarly lambasted the White House and Border Patrol's joint post featuring a handcuffed man accompanied by their song "Closing Time." The video was captioned, "You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here." Semisonic issued a statement to the Associated Press, saying, "We did not authorize or condone the White House's use of our song in any way. And no, they didn't ask. The song is about joy, possibilities, and hope, and they have missed the point entirely."
During Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, numerous musical acts contested the Republican ticket's use of their music, including Jack White, Sinéad O'Connor, Celine Dion, Foo Fighters, ABBA, and Beyoncé.
