ABBA Requests Trump Campaign to Cease Using Their Music Amid Dispute Over Permissions

The internationally renowned Swedish music group ABBA has formally requested that the Trump campaign stop using their songs at campaign rallies. This request comes after the band discovered that their music and videos were being used without authorization during a recent event.

In a statement released to the Midtown Times, ABBA expressed its disapproval of the use of hits such as “Waterloo,” “The Winner Takes It All,” and “Money, Money, Money” at political gatherings. The band clarified, “ABBA and its representatives have clarified that no permission or license was granted to use their music. We have asked for the immediate removal and deletion of this content.”

However, the Trump campaign asserts they have the legal right to use music. A spokesperson for the campaign stated, “We have obtained a license to play ABBA’s music through agreements with BMI and ASCAP.”

ABBA joins a growing list of artists who have voiced objections to their songs being played at Trump’s events. In the run-up to the 2020 election, artists including Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, Phil Collins, Pharrell, John Fogerty, Neil Young, and others publicly asked Trump to stop using their music.

In this election cycle, other prominent musicians like Celine Dion and Beyoncé have also requested that their songs not be used in Trump’s campaign materials. Despite these objections, political campaigns can legally play music at rallies with a blanket license through performing rights organizations such as ASCAP and BMI.

Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet reported that ABBA’s “The Winner Takes It All” was played at a Trump rally in Minnesota. The controversy adds another chapter to the ongoing tension between artists and political campaigns over the use of music. ABBA, whose music continues to resonate with audiences globally, released their comeback album, “Voyage,” in 2021.