The world is often an overwhelming place to be. It is hard to face the realities of the many atrocities occurring all around the globe, as well as the struggles in your own everyday life.

Art provides us with a place to go when you feel overwhelmed. You might listen to music, read a book, watch a movie, or even go to a gallery or performance in order to inspire, enlighten, or uplift you.

Art gives different perspectives to the world we live in. It answers our questions. It provides us with the knowledge that many other people from all walks of life feel the same things we feel. This is an innate part of the human experience.

All of this is impossible without protecting artists’ rights to freedom of expression.

Recently, Ed Sheeran bowed to pressure from Robert Kraft – billionaire stadium owner and friend of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – to drop Macklemore from his tour for being openly sympathetic towards the war crimes committed in Palestine.

Sheeran defended his actions, stating on Instagram that, “there is a reason I do not use my professional platform for politics.”

But no one asked him to make his own political statement.

Notably, Sheeran has used his professional platform for politics on a plethora of occasions; he endorsed Jeremy Corbyn in the 2017 General Election, wore a ‘Justice for Grenfell’ T-Shirt at a Wembley performance in 2018, signed a 2021 open letter urging the US Senate to pass the Equality Act and has been very openly pro-Ukraine, headlining ‘Concert for Ukraine’ in 2022.

Whether Sheeran agrees with Macklemore’s political views is irrelevant. If Sheeran cared about art in any capacity, he would have protected Macklemore’s freedom of expression by challenging Kraft.

Sheeran’s freedom of expression was protected in all of these instances. So why has he changed his tone on facilitating expression of political opinion in art?

It is evident that the Israel – Palestine conflict is an increasingly commercial issue.

Many artists have been censored for speaking out for Palestine, including musical artists Kneecap and Bob Vylan, model Bella Hadid, and of course Macklemore. It seems that Sheeran only publicly supports issues that won’t affect his $400 million net worth.

According to Sheeran, politics can only be openly discussed when it
doesn’t come with a price tag.

Art used to be ours, and we have lost control of it.

Now people like Robert Kraft own the areas it used to be displayed and can police who can and cannot express their opinions. When art is owned by corporations and billionaires, it must be the most neutral it can be in order to not alienate any section of the market.

Clearly, Sheeran is facilitating this and will throw other artists freedom of expression under the bus to ensure he gets his paycheck.

Artists do not have to make grand political statements, but the very essence of being able to express yourself – especially to a large audience – is politics. Protecting the freedom to express yourself is essential for a healthy democracy and a flourishing, diverse artistic society.

Sheeran’s failure at recognising this is shameful.