Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour has become one of the more charged flashpoints in recent music after promoters and venues removed rapper Macklemore from the billing following pro-Palestinian remarks he made on stage at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Taylor Swift, Sheeran's close friend and collaborator for more than a decade, has not spoken publicly about the situation.
Macklemore's opening set at the New Jersey venue included chants of "Free Palestine" and characterizations of Israel's actions as "genocide" and "apartheid." Advocacy groups StopAntisemitism and the Combat Antisemitism Movement called for his removal from the tour. Singer Pink publicly criticized the performance as well.
Sheeran issued a statement clarifying that the removal came from the tour's promoters and venues, not from him personally. He framed the concern around keeping the tour running so fans and crew members who depend on it financially would not be let down. Four of his other opening acts withdrew from upcoming dates in response, each citing opposition to what they described as genocide in Gaza.
Macklemore has history in this territory. In 2014 he wore a costume widely interpreted as an antisemitic caricature of Jewish people, though he said at the time the resemblance was unintentional.
Swift's reticence and the arithmetic of brand management
Swift's silence is consistent with how she has approached political risk across her career. Her representatives are known for tightly controlling her public image, and she chooses her moments carefully. She endorsed Kamala Harris, has used her platform in support of gay rights, and pushed voter registration efforts including during the 2024 election cycle. In 2018 she criticized Republican Tennessee Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn over her voting record on LGBTQ+ and women's rights, endorsing Democrat Phil Bredesen. She also described Donald Trump as a poor leader during the COVID-19 pandemic and accused him of cheating to win. The political left has at times pressed her for not doing enough.
The personal dimension of the current silence is not minor. Sheeran opened the North American leg of Swift's Red Tour in 2013 and appeared as a surprise guest during her Eras Tour. They co-wrote "Everything Has Changed" from that 2013 run and the 2021 song "Run." When Swift accepted her first BRIT Award in 2015, she credited Sheeran publicly with teaching her about British culture.
Some in the entertainment industry argue performers should stay out of it entirely. David Sams, CEO of Sam's Global Companies, a conglomerate of media networks and talent management, and a former head of global marketing and creative affairs at King World, told Fox News Digital: "My general feeling is they ought to stay in their own lane. It's a lot of noise, and with everything going on in the world right now, to even give five seconds to their shenanigans is ridiculous." Fox News Digital reached out to Swift for comment and had not received a response at publication time.