Björk and Paramore among more musicians joining ‘No Music For Genocide’ campaign
Björk and Paramore have joined the ‘No Music For Genocide’ boycott, meaning that their back catalogues are now unavailable on streaming services in Israel.
The new collective action through the ‘No Music For Genocide’ cultural boycott initiative asks artists and rights-holders to pull their music from streaming platforms in Israel.
Over 400 musicians and labels, such as Massive Attack, Rina Sawayama, Fontaines DC, Primal Scream, Faye Webster, MJ Lenderman, Arca, Maryam Saleh, Kelela, Oklou, Yaeji, Ana Tijoux, King Krule, Annahstasia, and Japanese Breakfast, are taking part in the collective action.
The artists backing the boycott have edited their release territories. In cases where this proves difficult, the musicians have sent geo-block requests to their distributor or label.
Björk has often been unfraid to speak out about her advocacy for the Palestinian people. She has also often spoken out about her support of Tibetan independence, which caused outrage among Chinese officials in 2008.
Paramore made their stance on the conflict clear last year, after taking to social media to call for support for Doctors Without Borders. They added at the time, “We do not believe that support for our Palestinian friends and family equals anti-Semitism. We love our Jewish friends and family and pray for the safe return of the remaining hostages.”
The ‘Misery Business’ rockers then added, “That being said, we simply cannot support a genocide. We stand in solidarity with those calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.”
Those behind the boycott released a statement that clarified their intentions, which began: “Culture can’t stop bombs on its own, but it can help reject political repression, shift public opinion toward justice, and refuse the art-washing and normalization of any company or nation that commits crimes against humanity.”
The statement continued, “This initiative is one part of a worldwide movement to erode the support Israel needs to continue its genocide. We’re inspired by the escalating efforts in pursuit of that goal, from the recent Film Workers For Palestine pledge to Spain’s ban of Israel-bound ships and planes to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition to Demilitarize Brooklyn Navy Yard to dockworkers in Morocco who’ve refused to load weapons onto vessels ordered by Tel Aviv.”
After admitting to feeling generally unsure about how the music industry might be able to help such geopolitical conflict, the statement then concluded, “Our first goal with No Music For Genocide is to inspire others to reclaim their agency and direct their influence toward a tangible act. We are so grateful for all of the artists, managers and labels who have already committed to this first step, and we’re excited to expand this together. The more of us there are, the stronger we will be. This is just the beginning.”
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