Ed Sheeran’s“Loop”tour has turned into one of the most chaotic stories in music this year, and SNL UK just turned the volume all the way up. Their“Weekend Update”segment mocked Sheeran for staying neutral on the Palestine controversy, joking that he refuses to take a side so he doesn’t alienate fans,“humans or robots.”Co-host Paddy Young also called billionaire Robert Kraft a“wealthy corpse-maxxer,”a line that instantly went viral.
The drama started when Macklemore, who was opening for Sheeran, said“Free Palestine”on stage in New Jersey and was dropped from the tour. Sheeran’s support acts and his entire backing band then quit in solidarity, forcing him to restart his Philadelphia show with a new band. He also removed his B-stage setup because he was“afraid of what might happen”in the crowd, apologized for“making mistakes,”and admitted he considered ending his career.
The criticism keeps coming. Billy Bragg called Sheeran’s promised $2 million Middle East aid donation an attempt to“buy back your integrity,”and former support act Aaron Rowe has also spoken out. So where do you land: should artists be expected to take a public stance on political conflicts, or is staying neutral a legitimate choice? Drop your take in the comments.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.