Radiohead had some harsh words Friday for ICE after the organization used their song, “Let Down,” in a promotional video: “Go f–k yourselves.”
“We demand that the amateurs in control of the ICE social media account take it down,” the band said in a joint statement. “It ain’t funny, this song means a lot to us and other people, and you don’t get to appropriate it without a fight.”
The song “Let Down” comes from Radiohead’s third studio album, “OK Computer.” In sharing the collective statement from band members Ed O’Brien, Thom Yorke, Colin Greenwood, Philip Selway and current Oscar nominee Jonny Greenwood, a spokesperson noted that it “goes without saying it was without the band’s permission.”
The video featuring “Let Down” is currently the pinned post on ICE’s X account. “This is who we fight for,” it reads. “This is our why.”
This incident resembles a similar situation faced by Jonny Greenwood, who is currently nominated for Best Original Score at the Academy Awards for his work on Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another.” In early February, Greenwood and PTA formally requested that Greenwood’s Oscar-nominated music from their previous collaboration “Phantom Thread” be removed from “Melania,” Brett Ratner’s critically panned documentary about First Lady Melania Trump.
This is just the latest instance of the Trump administration using music without artists’ permission. Pop stars like Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter have told the White House and ICE to stop putting their songs in videos in the past, with SZA accusing the White House of intentionally “rage baiting artists for free promo.”
“This video is evil and disgusting,” Carpenter said in December after her song “Juno” was used in a video of ICE arresting immigrants. “Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.” The video has since been taken down.
Many such artists have used their platform to criticize ICE, with the group’s actions taking center stage at the Grammys this year. Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish and Olivia Dean were among the Grammy-winning artists to recognize immigrants and denounce ICE at the ceremony.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say: ICE OUT,” Bad Bunny said. “We’re not savage. We’re not animals. We’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.”
