Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams has weighed in on the fallout between Ed Sheeran and Macklemore, aligning herself with the rapper after he was dropped from Sheeran’s stadium tour following his call for a free Palestine. Williams addressed the situation in a statement shared on Instagram.
The remarks addressed the pressure artists face to stay silent on political issues. They used a sarcastic tone to comment on that expectation.
“Hey guys I’ve seen all the atrocities going on and I just want you to know I am keeping the conversation open by saying nothing,” Williams said. “I am a role model (product) and it’s important that I don’t disappoint my young fans (investors and shareholders) by being political. My shows are something so much bigger than politics – they are commerce.”
Beyond the statement, Williams also made a subtler gesture of support. Her pre-show playlist reportedly included tracks from artists who withdrew from Sheeran’s tour after Macklemore was dropped, among them Macklemore’s “Can’t Hold Us” and “Thrift Shop,” Lukas Graham’s “Mama Said,” Finneas’ “For Cryin’ Out Loud,” Aaron Rowe’s “The Lane,” and Beoga’s “Aurora II.”
The controversy stems from a September 4th performance at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Macklemore said “Free Palestine” on stage during the show and displayed images of destruction in Gaza. The moment set off a chain of events that would ultimately reshape the entire lineup of Sheeran’s remaining North American tour dates.
Messina Touring Group, the promoter behind the U.S. leg of the Loop tour, cited venue pressure as the reason for Macklemore’s removal. Several venues on the upcoming tour dates reportedly informed the promoter that they would not permit a concert to take place with Macklemore on the bill. This raised the risk of outright cancellation and potential harm to hundreds of thousands of ticket-holding fans.
The fallout did not stop with Macklemore’s exit. All of the remaining support acts on Sheeran’s U.S. tour quit in protest of the decision. This left the pop star’s lineup in disarray just weeks before scheduled dates. Sheeran himself moved to clarify his own role in the matter. He stated on Instagram that removing Macklemore from the tour was the promoter’s decision, not his own.
Williams’s public support places her among a growing number of artists rallying behind Macklemore in the aftermath of his removal. Her decision to spotlight the very songs of artists who stood in solidarity with the rapper signals a deliberate, if quiet, statement of where she stands in the unfolding dispute.
