Boy George Lashes Out at Bandcamp After Removal of Pro-Israel Song: "What a Bunch of Whores"

Boy George lashed out at Bandcamp after the music distribution platform removed his profile following the release of his pro-Israel song, "We Will Dance Again," last month. The Culture Club frontman posted a video on Instagram saying that anyone trying to get the song will have to wait until he re-records it and finds another way to distribute it. In the post's caption, he was less diplomatic: "What a bunch of whores."

"The drama continues," Boy George said in the video. "Unfortunately, Bandcamp removed my profile, so anyone trying to get a copy of 'We Will Dance Again' will have to wait until I record it and find a way to release it." He added that the platform had already collected money from listeners, saying: "I hope Bandcamp refunds that money. It's very disappointing, and obviously, if you already have the song — make videos, play it on the internet. Play it everywhere, let it be heard."

The song sparked controversy upon its release, partly due to its opening line: "You say genocide, I say war." According to Boy George, he wrote it after visiting the Nova festival exhibition in London and meeting people affected by the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023. Since the song's release, he has also withdrawn from his planned run of shows at the London Palladium, where he was set to play Herod in "Jesus Christ Superstar," and parted ways with his record label manager after he refused to release the song.

However, it is not certain that the removal is specifically related to the song's political content. At the time of its release, Boy George confirmed that he used artificial intelligence to assist in its creation, and Bandcamp's policy states that it is forbidden to upload music created entirely or in significant part using AI. NME reached out to Bandcamp for comment.

Following the criticism he received, Boy George claimed that the song was written from a place of peace. "The claim that I have no compassion for Palestinians is both untrue and absurd. I am devastated by the loss of innocent lives on both sides of this war, and I call for peace," he said. According to him, "I read media figures calling me a 'genocide denier,' while those who deny the suffering of Israelis get a free pass."

He later explained that the song was written after a conversation with Michael and Lisa Marlowe, whose son Jake was murdered while trying to help others. "The Nova festival is a mirror of my world as a DJ, and I have played at many such festivals, including in Israel, so it touched me and I felt I had to write something," he said. "I could have been there, and we know there were people from more than 40 countries there. I felt those deep emotions and wrote the song for them."