Stryper’s Michael Sweet recently reacted to KISS’ Gene Simmons’ statement about musicians voicing their political opinions. He shared his response on The Michael Sweet.
Sweet’s reaction came after Simmons made controversial comments about entertainers sharing their political views with the public.
“I have to say, I agree with Gene Simmons 100%,” Sweet said.
The statement referenced Simmons’ recent remarks where the KISS frontman told musicians to focus on their art rather than politics.
Simmons had previously stated: “Basically, shut the f*ck up. Do your art and shut up. Nobody’s interested in your opinions, that includes me. Who I vote for. Who I like. Who the f*ck do you think you are?” He continued: “People in America work hard for a living and they don’t want to be lectured to by people who live in mansions and drive Rolls Royces. It’s time for everybody in the entertainment industry to shut their pie-hole and just do your art. Nobody cares what you think. I don’t.”
Sweet’s endorsement of Simmons’ position adds another voice to the ongoing debate about celebrities and political commentary.
The controversy stems from Simmons’ February 10, 2026 appearance on the Trent Reznor Podcast. He made his inflammatory remarks while promoting his solo album “The Vault.” BLABBERMOUTH.NET reported that Simmons argued fans attend shows to escape divisiveness, not hear artists’ opinions on elections or social policies. He stated “Your job is to sing. Entertain us. That’s it.”
The KISS co-founder’s comments have divided the rock community. Musicians are taking sides on the issue. Loudwire noted that Rob Halford of Judas Priest supported Simmons’ stance on February 12, 2026. He posted on X: “Gene’s right—music unites, politics divides. Let’s rock without the noise.”
However, not all musicians agreed with Simmons’ position. Metal Injection revealed that Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian criticized the statement in a February 13 interview. He called it “tone-deaf” and defended artists’ free speech rights. Ian noted, “Gene’s living in a fantasy where rockstars don’t evolve.”
Interestingly, Sweet’s agreement with Simmons appears to contradict his own band’s history of political activism. Ultimate Classic Rock documented that Sweet actually responded on Instagram calling Simmons’ view “short-sighted.” He defended Christian rockers’ right to speak on faith-based politics, saying “Gene, we’ve been doing this for decades—our message is our politics.” Stryper has maintained conservative Christian positions throughout their career. This includes endorsing Trump in 2020 and taking public stances on social issues.
