Celine Dion VS Trump: “Don’t Use the Titanic Song in Election Rallies”

In a statement released on X, Dion’s team said they did not “endorse” the use of the song, asking with a touch of sarcasm “really THAT song?”, alluding to the shipwreck, on which the film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet is based.

The statement reads: “Celine Dione’s management and her record company Sony Music Entertainment Canada have become aware of unauthorized use of videos, recordings and musical performances of the song My Heart Will Go On at a rally in Montana. In no way was this authorized and Celine Dion does not condone this type of operation.” The Trump campaign did not respond to the statement.

Dion made a triumphant return to live singing last month at the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympics. It was her first public performance since revealing she was diagnosed with SPS in 2022. The singer opened up about her struggles with SPS in a film called “I Am: Celine Dion,” which last month became the most successful documentary ever, according to Amazon Prime Video.

Artists and bands have already complained about Trump using their songs during campaign rallies. Canadian recording artist Neil Young has also previously objected to Trump using his songs, and in 2020 the Rolling Stones threatened him with legal action after their song “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” was played at a political rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne sent Trump a notice banning him from using Black Sabbath music in campaign videos in 2019.

The Republican presidential candidate isn’t the only politician to receive criticism from artists for using songs at campaign rallies. Last yearthe rapper Eminem asked Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy to stop using his songs. Bruce Springsteen criticized President Reagan for planning to use “Born in the USA” in his 1984 election campaign. Fatboy Slim furiously denounced the British Labour Party for using his hit “Right Here, Right Now” at its 2004 conference, the year after the Iraq War.

Legally, US politicians don’t always need direct permission from artists. Their campaigns can purchase licensing packages from music rights organizations that give them legal access to over 20 million songs. However, artists have the right to remove their music from this list. Source: Adnkronos.it