Fact Check: Did Katy Perry remove all her music from Apple Music in Israel amid Macklemore row?
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: After Macklemore was removed from Ed Sheeran’s tour for a pro-Palestine remark, a social media post claims that popular singer Katy Perry has removed all her music from Apple Music in Israel. The claim drew a strong reaction from fans and online users, with many calling for a fact-check.
Claim: Katy Perry removed her music from Apple Music in Israel
According to the viral X post, Katy Perry removed all of her music from Apple Music in Israel.
Although the post does not explain the reason for the alleged development, fans and netizens have attributed the claim to the removal of Macklemore from Ed Sheeran’s tour, which has triggered a row and a massive backlash against the English artist.
The post has garnered more than half a million views as of this writing and has been shared by multiple accounts on X, Facebook, and Instagram.
Comments under the post indicate that many believe the claim to be true, while a few others remain skeptical, prompting a fact-check.
Fact Check: No credible evidence to support the claim
The claim, however, is false, as there is no evidence that the American singer removed all her songs from the music streaming platform in Israel.
No official announcements, statements, or social media posts from Perry or the streaming platforms support the claim.
Several fact-check reports even indicate that the artist’s music is still available on the platform in Israel.
If the 41-year-old singer really made such a move, it would have been widely covered by prominent news and entertainment outlets, making headlines. A Google search for the claim yielded no such media reports.
Macklemore's tour exit sparks Ed Sheeran backlash
The claim surfaced amid the backlash after Macklemore was removed from Sheeran’s stadium tour, following which his own band quit his tour in the US in solidarity with the American rapper.
This came after several venues allegedly stated that they would not allow him to perform for making several onstage statements in support of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and calling for a “free Palestine.”
Macklemore’s removal also triggered a wave of setbacks for Sheeran, including backlash from fans and a radio station banning his songs.
Macklemore said, “A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: ‘Free Palestine.’”
