At just 22 years old, Olivia Rodrigo has a voice that knows how to turn young women’s struggles into a generational manifesto. He sang about heartbreak, anger, and sarcasm, and in the process became one of the most recognizable figures in North American pop. But this time there was no song, but its forced silence that characterized the rhythm. The theme is all american bitch Appeared in an official video of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) without permission.
The video lasted only a minute and went viral from DHS and Casablanca accounts. It facilitated the “voluntary deportation” of illegal immigrants through government applications. An image of a Customs and Immigration Services (ICE, acronym) officer accompanied the song’s first line. “Always, always grateful, sexy and kind, cute even when she cries.” (Always grateful, always sexy and kind, even cute when she cries).
The text accompanying the video is direct and threatening. “Mark now and self-report using the CBP Home app. If you don’t do that, you will face the consequences. ” This irony is cruel. A song written as a satire on the demands of American female ideals was turned by the government into the soundtrack of a message calling on immigrants to march “voluntarily.”
Rodrigo responded immediately. “I cannot go back to using my songs for racist propaganda and hateful propaganda,” he wrote on his Instagram account. The message quickly disappeared, but it was enough to spark controversy. Within hours, the song was removed from the video. Instead, you’ll get an uncomfortable silence and the text “This song is currently unavailable.””. On social networks, users praised the singer’s reaction.
all american bitchRodrigo wrote and produced the album. guts (2023) is a work that depicts the dual morality imposed on success, gender, and the nation. Using the song in this context, including its meaning, violates the author’s rights: this song, which satirizes the perfection of American women, has played into the hands of a device that defines who deserves to remain in America (and who doesn’t).
Born to a Filipino priest and an American mother, Rodrigo grew up in Los Angeles, a city that would be unimaginable without immigrants. She is not the only artist to speak out against the use of her music by the US government. In 2019, Rihanna demanded that President Donald Trump stop using her songs in his songs. Don’t Stop the Music Sonaba engages in acts that promote anti-immigration policies. Pharrell Williams also sent a cease and desist letter to his agent after hearing the story. happy In a political act celebrated on the same day as the mass shooting. Adele, Queen, Neil Young, the Rolling Stones, and Axl Rose have all claimed control over the meaning of their songs, not just the economic rights, and have done so themselves at various times.
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