Boy George has threatened to sack any members of his band who refuse to play his new AI-generated, pro-Israel single.
The Culture Club frontman released We Will Dance Again last month as a tribute to the victims of October 7 and, in particular, the Nova Festival massacre.
However, the song generated online backlash for its pro-Israel lyrics, including those accusing pro-Palestine musicians of “condemning Jews” and “mouthing like sheep”, as well as the line “you say genocide, I say war”.
It was also criticised for the fact that AI was used in the track’s development, which George has acknowledged, though he has insisted the lyrics and melody were written by him.
Addressing the controversy in an Instagram video on Sunday, the artist defended the use of AI, saying: “If I would have tried writing We Will Dance Again with any other musician, they would have gotten in my way. They would have said ‘Oh, you can’t say that'.”
“Even now that the song is written, there are people in my band who are questioning whether they’ll perform it with me,” he added, before promising that “those people will be fired”.
"I don’t need gatekeepers, and one of the great things about AI is that it removes all the interference – all the human interference.”
“I wrote that song. The lyrics are mine, the melody is mine,” he went on.
"That doesn’t make me lazy or make me uncreative. In fact, I think AI has made me more creative.
"If I would have tried to write We Will Dance Again with a human being, they would have gotten in my way, so thank God for AI.”
George’s latest Instagram statement comes after he pulled out of a guest role in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s West End production of Jesus Christ Superstar days after the song’s release.
Days later, he took to social media to refute claims that he was a “genocide denier,” saying: “The suggestion that I feel no compassion for Palestinian’s is both untrue and absurd. I am devastated for the loss of the innocent lives on both sides of this war, and I call for peace.”
But, soon after, he confirmed he would split with his label manager, Tony Pontius, whom he branded “gutless,” after Pontius had reportedly said he wanted “nothing to do” with the song.
"In Buddhism we understand that every action comes with a consequence,” wrote George on X. “Due to my decision to stand up for my Jewish friends, I am losing a few people from my life.
“When someone is gutless, it really does not hurt to say goodbye. My faith in humanity will not diminish, and the truth will always win.”
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