Donald Trump’s marketing campaign and the Republican National Committee are less than hearth for the use of one more piece of songs: Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”
The singer-songwriter’s estate and Sony/ATV Publishing say that they specifically declined the Republican Countrywide Committee’s ask for for the music, but it was played anyway throughout the closing night time of the conference, as Trump shipped his acceptance speech from the South Lawn of the White Property.
Michelle Rice, authorized representative for Cohen’s estate, said in a statement that they were being “surprised and dismayed” that the RNC would use the music being aware of they “had specially declined the RNC’s use ask for, and their rather brazen endeavor to politicize and exploit in this kind of an egregious way ‘Hallelujah,’ 1 of the most vital music in the Cohen music catalogue.”
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She claimed that they are exploring legal options but also obtained in a dig at the campaign.
“Had the RNC requested a different track, ‘You Want it Darker,’ for which Leonard gained a posthumous Grammy in 2017, we may well have viewed as acceptance of that music,” Rice said.
Sony/ATV Publishing also weighed in. Brian Monaco, its president and world-wide main promoting officer, stated, “On the eve of the finale of the conference, reps from the Republican National Committee contacted us with regards to getting permission for a dwell efficiency of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah.’ We declined their ask for.”
The music was listened to at the very least twice — at the time as Tori Kelly’s prerecorded rendition and then as done live by opera singer Christopher Macchio from the White Property balcony.
A spokesperson for the Republican National Committee did not immediately return a ask for for remark.
This barely is the 1st time that the Trump marketing campaign has operate into opposition from musicians for the use of their songs. Tom Petty’s loved ones objected to the use of “I Will not Back again Down” at a Trump rally in June, for instance. The Rolling Stones also sent a lawful warning to the campaign about the use of “You Just cannot Always Get What You Want,” which had been a Trump typical.
In reality, complaints about Trump making use of unique tunes day to the previous presidential race. Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the No cost World” was played when the then-Apprentice host declared his candidacy after descending an escalator at the Trump Tower in New York in June 2015. He later on was condemned by the members of Queen for making use of “We Are the Champions” at the 2016 Republican Countrywide Convention in Cleveland.
Multiple issues have been raised considering the fact that then by Rihanna, who objected to the use of her hit track “Don’t End the Music” at a 2018 Trump rally in Tallahassee, FL by Pharrell Williams, whose Oscar-nominated “Happy” was performed at a Trump rally hrs following 11 men and women ended up killed at a Pittsburgh synagogue in Oct 2018 and by Worry! at the Disco’s Brendon Urie, whose “High Hopes” played at Trump’s Phoenix occasion this yr.
Hallelujah has come to be a common, not just at public functions, but in movies like Shrek and, a lot more recently, the trailer for Justice League: The Snyder Cut. While it is been utilised to mark moments of tragedy and pleasure, the terms, as critics have mentioned, do not essentially lend on their own to celebration.
David Robb and Erik Pedersen contributed to this report.
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