Olivia Rodrigo acted swiftly against an attempt by Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign team to use her song “Deja Vu” in a TikTok post. The video celebrated his recent election win using the popular track before Rodrigo had given any consent for the same. The surprising collaboration led Rodrigo to remark cuttingly on the video, reportedly saying, “ew, don’t use my sound ever again ty.” Following the statement of the star, the audio has since been removed from the video, and the message is up on TikTok that says, “this sound isn’t available.” This publicized response lends itself to the continued conversations and debate across social media.
It happened on TikTok, where the Trump campaign posted a video featuring its election highlights to the sounds of “Deja Vu.” Though that post started gathering plenty of momentum, Rodrigo’s response made plain her intense disapproval of the association of her work with the campaign. Her comment was taken down later, but screenshots were taken by fans and resurfaced online, making her response spread across the internet.
Her apparent reaction was to take the audio off the video, after Rodrigo’s comment; no doubt due to partial ownership of the song’s copyright by the former. While effective, such a move has engendered a number of varied responses from her fan base and the public at large.
The move by Rodrigo to have the song pulled off saw her fans and followers come out in full support. Many applauded her for taking back control over her work and using her platform as a way to make sure her music aligned with herself. Her supporters took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and TikTok, lauding Rodrigo for her actions while stressing how important it is that artists retain ownership over their works.
Yet the move also drew criticism from fans who believe it could be divisive among some of her audience. It was further criticized that it might divide her fanbase, especially since Rodrigo’s become increasingly vocal about where she stands on progressive issues, including public support for Kamala Harris and Pro-Choice.
The reason being, Rodrigo has been very vocal in his advocacy for progressive interests. She has publicly supported Kamala Harris during her campaign and spoken much about the importance of voting, especially among the youth. In a recent interview she gave to The Hollywood Reporter, she shared her view on being part of this year’s election by saying, “It’s my first presidential election… It’s a super, super important election.” Her continued activism, such as on reproductive rights, colors that decision to separate her music from Trump’s campaign.
The controversy here shows a larger concern about just how musicians negotiate the use of their work in political contexts. With copyright control, artists including Rodrigo had the legal and personal right to decide where their music was used-a right that has appreciated substantially in value over recent periods as social media platforms allow songs to be repurposed often without direct approval. Rodrigo’s case illustrates lingering tensions between political campaigns and artists. Musicians have sought to protect the integrity of their creations and ensure they are not in conflict with their values.
