'Never Use My Music Again': Ariana Grande Condemns Trump over Viral Tiktok
By David Miller
Q1: Why was Donald Trump's team able to use Ariana Grande's song on TikTok in the first place?
TikTok maintains blanket licensing agreements with major music labels, which allow accounts to pick tracks directly from the app's sound library. Political accounts exploit this setup to treat candidate content like ordinary user clips, skirting standard commercial sync licenses.
Q2: What exact song was used, and from which album?
The campaign used "We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)," the hit single from Grande's seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine, released in March 2024.
Q3: Can musicians legally stop political candidates from using their music on social media?
Yes. While blanket platform licenses create ambiguity, artists can pursue claims under the Lanham Act for false endorsement, invoke their Right of Publicity, or direct their publishers to issue direct DMCA takedown requests for political campaign materials.
Q4: How did Ariana Grande respond to the campaign's video?
Grande issued a sharp rebuke across her channels, writing "Your truth is false" and telling the campaign directly to "Never use my music again."
David Miller brings 15 years of experience in global economics, personal finance strategy, and market dynamics. He specializes in turning complex economic trends into actionable insights for everyday readers.
