Radio station pulls Ed Sheeran’s songs from airwaves as tour saga fallout continues
The wild week for Ed Sheeran continues to get worse, just hours before the English singer is due back on stage for his next concert in Philadelphia.
The 35-year-old’s songs have been pulled from Ireland’s Classic Hits Radio after “the reaction from our listeners” in response to the Shape of You singer dropping Macklemore from his US tour.
The wild week for Ed Sheeran continues to get worse, just hours before the English singer is due back on stage for his next concert in Philadelphia. Instagram/@teddysphotos
“Our decision to remove Ed Sheeran’s music from the Classic Hits Radio playlist has been carefully considered,” Dave Kelly, group programme director at Bay Broadcasting, which runs the radio station, said in a statement.
“It is not intended as a personal judgment on Ed Sheeran, and we acknowledge his own explanation of the circumstances surrounding recent events.”
The radio station is among Ireland’s biggest commercial networks, with more than 379,000 listeners a week, who are predominantly in the 35+ category.
Kelly said they felt compelled to follow in the footsteps of Sheeran’s Irish tour acts Aaron Rowe and Beoga, who have pulled out of the Loop Tour’s remaining shows.
“As an independent Irish-owned radio station, however, we believe it is important to listen to our audience and to stand alongside Irish artists who have made what is undoubtedly a significant professional decision based on their own convictions,” he said.
“Ultimately, our position is a simple one. We believe in peace, humanity and respect, and in the right of people and artists to express and act upon their sincerely held views.
The 35-year-old’s songs have been pulled from Ireland’s Classic Hits Radio in response to the Shape of You singer dropping Macklemore from his US tour. Ethan Miller/Getty Images for iHeartMedia
“In light of the strength of feeling expressed by our listeners and the decisions taken by Irish artists involved in the tour, we believe removing Ed Sheeran’s music from our playlist is the appropriate decision for Classic Hits Radio at this time.”
The radio station said its decision to drop the Galway Girl singer’s music from its playlists would remain “under review”, therefore not ruling out a return to the airwaves down the track.
UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told BBC Radio she feels for Sheeran, who has found himself in an impossible position.
“I think he’s been left in a really difficult decision, stuck between his supporting artists, whom he wants to promote and support, and the promoters, and I hope that people will still go and see his show,” she said.
Snowball effect
Sheeran’s week spun out of control after he said his hand was forced in dropping American rapper Macklemore from the tour, following the 43-year-old’s “Free Palestine” remarks on stage at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 4.
“Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine,” Sheeran told fans in a lengthy statement online.
Sheeran’s week spun out of control after he said his hand was forced in dropping American rapper Macklemore from his the Loop Tour. Duncan barnes
“Macklemore’s contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me.”
Sheeran went on to name Jewish billionaire businessman Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium and the New England Patriots NFL team, as the key man behind the decision who said he would not allow “hate speech” inside his venue and rallied other stadium owners to follow suit.
“I am not complicit. I have my personal views on this devastating conflict,” Sheeran said.
“Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn’t mean I don’t have them, and it doesn’t mean I don’t care. Nor does it mean I don’t support causes in my own, personal way.”
Macklemore empathised for the position his friend and fellow musician had been put in but hit back at Sheeran for not taking a stand regardless of the cost to him. Getty
Sheeran has maintained a neutral view on politics publicly but has previously performed at a charity concert for Ukraine and also released a charity single with U2 for the same political cause.
Macklemore empathised for the position his friend and fellow musician had been put in but hit back at Sheeran for not taking a stand regardless of the cost to him.
“Taking a side can cost you,” the Glorious singer wrote.
“Money, brand deals, sponsorships, festivals, private shows, relationships and access. I’ve lost all of those things. But there is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed.”
Sheeran’s other opening acts (like Danish band Lukas Graham, pictured) followed suit in solidarity with Macklemore, protesting artists being silenced. AP Photo/Evan Agostini
Similarly, Sheeran’s other opening acts followed suit in solidarity with Macklemore, protesting artists being silenced.
“Money doesn’t give you the right to own the conversation,” Lukas Graham said as they dropped out of the tour.
“Nobody’s bank balance should decide who gets the right to speak or which suffering we’re allowed to acknowledge.”
True cost of fallout
While Sheeran’s tour is scheduled to continue on September 19 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, how packed the stadium is remains to be seen.
Read more
Ed Sheeran’s $100 million gamble: What is Macklemore’s tour removal really going to cost him?
There are a plethora of fans trying to resell tickets in protest, while others petition ticketmaster for a full refund now that the opening acts won’t be performing.
Whether he will find replacement opening acts for the remainder of the tour is also unknown - the Perfect crooner has 17 more shows to go, across both North and South America, with his final show scheduled for December 11 in Mexico City.
Sheeran’s also lost about 300,000 followers with 47.3 million Instagram followers as of Thursday, down from 47.6 million earlier in the week. This can have a flow on effect when it comes to music sales and brand deals.
Should have stuck by rapper
Crisis PR expert Lauren Beeching believes the singer would have been better off backing Macklemore, regardless of the short-term cost it might have had.
"I would have advised Ed to stand by his decision and never remove Macklemore from the tour," she told Reuters.
“I think he [Sheeran] invited him [on tour]. He gave him the freedom to speak on what he wanted to speak on.
Crisis PR expert Lauren Beeching believes the singer would have been better off backing Macklemore, regardless of the short-term cost it might have had. Larry Busacca/Getty Images for MTV
"Ed would have known what he was going to speak on, and he should have stood by it."
However, crisis comms specialist Carla Speight said Sheeran was dammed if he did and dammed if he didn’t in this age of online cancel culture.
“Ed’s name trending and Ed’s fans being told to boycott. He’s effectively being thrown under the bus for a decision Macklemore and the promoters should have seen coming,” Speight told UK’s Prolific North.
“There’s a pattern with a lot of online cancel culture right now. The people making the real decisions are out of reach, so the anger lands on whoever is closest: the pop star, the familiar face, the easy target. Meanwhile, the promoters who made the call have stayed relatively quiet and let their headline act take the heat.
“Let’s be honest: Benjamin Netanyahu isn’t going to change course because of what a pop star posts. Ed isn’t going to change it either, regardless of what he says. Speak up and he splits his fanbase. Stay quiet and he’s condemned for silence. Either way he loses, and Gaza gains nothing.”
Some experts say this isn’t the end of the line for the four-time Grammy winner and his career will bounce back. Kevork Djansezian
But other experts say this isn’t the end of the line for the four-time Grammy winner.
“Ed Sheeran’s young,” Ray Waddell, chief content director for media and conferences for the Oak View Group, told Associated Press.
“He’s got a lot of tours ahead of him and these tours make a lot of money.
“It’s a business and it’s not going away. Everybody’s going to be doing this next year and 10 years after that, God willing.”
