ABBA have demanded that Donald Trump cease his usage of their songs during his campaign rallies.
The former president of the United States used multiple ABBA hits including the likes of ‘Money, Money, Money’, ‘The Winner Takes It All’ and ‘Dancing Queen’ during his rally event last month (July 27) in St Cloud, Minnesota. Minnesota happens to be the US state with he highest Swedish population.
Along with playing the band’s hits, the campaign also took the time to screen footage of the ABBA members on a big screen in the venue where the rally was taking place. The footage also had messages that urged Trump supporters to donate.
As per Rolling Stone, word of the former president’s usage of the ABBA songs and footage made its way to the group’s Björn Ulvaeus, who told the Swedish newswire TT by text message that Universal Music – the band’s record company – would “make sure it is taken down.”
Universal Music shared that the Trump campaign had not asked for permission to use ABBA’s music or videos and added that the footage from the rally is to be “immediately taken down and removed” (per The Guardian).
A spokesperson said: “Together with the members of Abba, we have discovered that videos have been released where Abba’s music/videos has been used at Trump events, and we have therefore requested that such use be immediately taken down and removed.”
They added: “Universal Music Publishing AB and Polar Music International AB have not received any request, so no permission or licence has been given to Trump.”
The Swedish group are the latest musicians to call for the former president to cease any use of their music during his campaign rallies.
Beyoncé reportedly threatened the former president with legal action for using her song ‘Freedom’ in a social media video. That same song is now being used – with permission – by Kamala Harris as the official anthem of her presidential campaign.
The estate of Isaac Hayes have also threatened to sue for Trump’s use of ‘Hold On, I’m Coming’, Celine Dion said she did not endorse his use of ‘My Heart Will Go On’, Johnny Marr “shut down” his use of The Smiths’ ‘Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want’, and Neil Young, The Rolling Stones, Queen and The Animals have all made similar objections in the past.
In other news, the Trump campaign has recently argued that it had the “license” to play Foo Fighters‘ ‘My Hero’ at a recent rally despite the band denying any authorisation.
Trump also addressed the controversy around his use of AI images of Taylor Swift “endorsing” his campaign last week, claiming, “I didn’t generate them”.