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By Amanda Castro
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Jack Antonoff, the Grammy-winning producer and longtime Taylor Swift collaborator, has backed Macklemore amid the controversy over the rapper’s removal from Ed Sheeran’s tour after saying “Free Palestine” onstage.
Antonoff’s intervention puts one of pop music’s most influential producers into a dispute that has raised broader questions about artists’ political speech and the power promoters and venue owners wield over major tours. His comments also renew pressure on Sheeran, whom Antonoff said should have canceled his tour rather than continue after Macklemore was dropped.
In an interview published Sunday by The Guardian, the Bleachers frontman, who is Jewish, said he had been saying “Free Palestine” during his own concerts and had become more determined to do so amid the controversy. Addressing Sheeran directly, Antonoff argued that the singer had “missed a massive, beautiful opportunity” to cancel his remaining concerts and instead perform for free outside the venues while raising money. Newsweek reached out to Ed Sheeran for comment.
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“They’re going to let some fucking promoter tell me what I can say? Don’t book me. I’ll play for free outside,” Antonoff told The Guardian. He concluded his criticism by saying: “The reason it’s not an anomaly or niche issue is because we all live in a world where billionaires are constantly telling us what to do. So stand the f**k up.”
Antonoff’s involvement is notable because his career is deeply embedded in mainstream pop. Beyond fronting Bleachers, he's become one of the industry’s most prominent producers, working with Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Lana Del Rey, Lorde, St. Vincent, Kendrick Lamar, and Gracie Abrams.
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Why Jack Antonoff Backed Macklemore’s ‘Free Palestine’ Message
Antonoff told The Guardian that he had faced abuse on social media after saying “Free Palestine” at Bleachers concerts. He framed the phrase as a humanitarian message rather than something inherently controversial and said the recent dispute had emboldened him to keep using it.
His criticism targeted not only the decision affecting Macklemore but also what he sees as a larger imbalance between performers and the business interests controlling concert venues.
Elsewhere in the same interview, Antonoff criticized Live Nation over ticket pricing, arguing that live music should not become an experience determined by who can afford the highest prices.
Antonoff is unusually prominent within that industry. He performs his own material with Bleachers while producing records for some of pop's biggest names.
In the Guardian interview, he said he likes working on what he called “super high-stakes albums,” projects that draw enormous public attention and scrutiny.
Why Macklemore Was Removed From Ed Sheeran’s Tour
The controversy began in early September when Macklemore opened for Sheeran at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and said “Free Palestine” from the stage. He subsequently performed “Hind’s Hall,” his protest song associated with pro-Palestinian demonstrations, and repeated his message during a second appearance. The performances prompted criticism from pro-Israel groups, including calls for his removal from the tour.
The Israeli-American Council publicly called on Sheeran to remove Macklemore, arguing that the stage should not be used for what it characterized as political propaganda. Macklemore defended his position, maintaining that support for Palestinian rights should not be considered controversial.
The dispute escalated ahead of later tour dates. Robert Kraft, whose Kraft Group owns Gillette Stadium, said his opposition stemmed from concerns about antisemitism.
Macklemore later accused Kraft and other stadium owners of putting pressure on the tour over his appearances. Kraft acknowledged Palestinian suffering in his subsequent public response but argued that advocacy for Palestinians should not come at the expense of Jewish people or overlook Hamas’ responsibility for violence.
On September 14, Macklemore was removed from the remaining U.S. dates. Sheeran later said promoter Messina Touring Group, not him personally, made the decision.
Macklemore argued that powerful commercial interests dictated what could be said on stage, while Sheeran maintained he wasn't responsible for the decision.
What Ed Sheeran Said About Macklemore
Sheeran addressed the fallout in a public statement on September 15, saying he considered the suffering caused by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict a humanitarian tragedy. He said Macklemore’s contract was with the tour promoter and emphasized that Sheeran did not decide to remove him.
Sheeran also defended his decision to keep the tour going. He said he would not abandon fans who had made plans to attend, or crew members, musicians and other performers whose livelihoods depended on the shows continuing. He described his public approach as one intended to preserve dialogue rather than inflame divisions.
Macklemore rejected the notion that neutrality was sufficient. In his own statement, he said he and Sheeran had gone through a week of difficult conversations that ended in “fundamental disagreement.”
He also acknowledged that Sheeran faced a difficult situation, but argued that the singer’s desire not to publicly choose a side was itself consequential.
“[Ed Sheeran] missed a massive, beautiful opportunity there: just cancel the whole f******g tour, then play for free outside each venue, raise a bunch of money, rather than let a f******g billionaire tell you what to do," he said.
Ed Sheeran Later Addressed the Israel-Gaza Conflict
Sheeran subsequently went beyond his initial statement. During a September 19 concert in Philadelphia, he described the controversy as one of the worst weeks of his life and acknowledged mistakes in how he had handled its fallout.
He also addressed the underlying conflict more directly, saying he could no longer avoid discussing what he considered a humanitarian issue. Sheeran condemned the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and also described the situation in Gaza as unjustifiable and disproportionate.
He additionally expressed concern about venues seeking advance control over performers or what they might say onstage.
That later response is significant context for Antonoff’s new criticism. His Guardian interview, published October 25, comes more than a month after Sheeran publicly expanded his position, meaning Antonoff was not simply reacting to Sheeran’s first statement in the immediate aftermath of Macklemore’s removal.
What Happened After Macklemore Left the Tour
The dispute did not end with Macklemore’s departure. Other support acts later pulled out, turning what began as a controversy over one performer into a broader debate in the music industry about Gaza, political expression, and the authority of venues and promoters.
Macklemore then announced that his earnings from his stint on Sheeran’s tour would go to organizations helping Palestinians. He later launched his own Free Palestine tour, with proceeds also going toward groups supporting Palestinians.
By October, that tour had reached Dublin, where Macklemore performed at the 3Arena before scheduled shows in Paris and London.
The BBC reported that tickets for the Dublin concert sold out and that some attendees arrived wearing Palestinian colors, flags and keffiyehs.
The rapper’s position has also drawn criticism. Jewish and pro-Israel organizations accused him of rhetoric they considered antisemitic or hostile toward Israel.
Macklemore has sought to distinguish his criticism of the Israeli government from hostility toward Jewish people, while saying antisemitism is real and should be opposed.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Gray R. Thomas
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