U2 frontman Bono has weighed in on the ongoing controversy involving Ed Sheeran after Macklemore was removed from the singer's tour when venues objected to the rapper's pro-Palestinian remarks.
Speaking with Rolling Stone
, Bono opened up about working with the pop star on his band's surprise EP "Days of Ash" and offered his take on the matter, telling the outlet Sept. 30, that "we shouldn’t personalize this, what’s going on.""(British musician) Brian Eno said today that pop stars are like little fish in a large sea of huge forces and religion and politics," Bono said. "And so I don’t want to dwell on Ed and Macklemore and that incident."
During Sheeran's concert at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, on Sept. 4, Macklemore wore a kaffiyeh, performed
his pro-Palestinian protest song "Hind's Hall" and told the crowd that a "big part of the reason" he wanted to join the tour was to advocate for a "free Palestine," which he said was "very near and dear to my heart."
The "Thrift Shop" singer reiterated the comments he made the following day, at the Sept. 5 show, which led to him being kicked off the tour.
Bono also recalled the 35-year-old "Shape of You" singer saying he wanted to keep politics out of any music he's making, including when he was working with the band on "Yours Eternally," a track that chronicles the perspective of a Ukrainian soldier amid Russia's war in the country.
"I will say this. When we did 'Yours Eternally,' he was saying, 'You’re not going to get me into politics, are you?'" Bono said. "And I said, 'This soldier who has inspired us, he loved you, Ed, and you’ve worked on this song.'"
The rock star said that Sheeran replied, "I just want to keep my thing free," which made Bono realize “you can’t be pushing people around."
USA TODAY contacted Sheeran's reps for comment on Oct. 1.
Macklemore announces Free Palestine tour after fallout
Weeks after stadium owners, including New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, called for the Grammy-winning rapper to be barred from performing the remaining dates of Sheeran's Loop Tour, Macklemore announced the launch of the Free Palestine Tour, which is set to kick off Oct. 26 at Dublin's 3Arena.
"What happened to me is bigger than one artist or one stage. When the billionaire class can decide which voices are allowed on stage and which ones are too dangerous to hear, everyone should be paying attention," he said in a Sept. 24 statement. "So, as you all know, my schedule freed up a bit."
All proceeds from the Free Palestine Tour will benefit 12 organizations supporting Palestinians through medical care, humanitarian assistance, education, advocacy and community programs, according to the rapper.
Supporting acts, including Finneas O'Connell, Danish band Lukas Graham, singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe and Sheeran’s live backing band Beoga, dropped out of the Loop Tour in solidarity with Macklemore.
In the days following his removal, Macklemore vowed to donate the $1 million he earned from playing on the Loop Tour to six organizations supporting Palestinian people and challenged Kraft to match the donation. Kraft later shared that he and Sheeran, who allegedly contacted him before Macklemore's public invitation, would pledge $2 million to the cause.
Following mounting backlash, Sheeran addressed the incident in a Sept. 15 statement, saying that the decision to remove Macklemore from the tour wasn’t his: "Macklemore’s contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me."
Four days later, on Sept. 19, Sheeran brought up the fallout onstage, telling fans he "had to take and make difficult decisions." He also called the Israel-Hamas war a "humanitarian issue."
"I am making mistakes, and I’m so, so sorry," Sheeran said. "I don’t want to disappoint fans, and I’ve never wanted to be an activist musician, but this has put me in the middle of an important and passionate argument about freedom of speech and the most complex political issue on the planet."
Contributing: Sameen Chaudhry and Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bono says 'we shouldn't personalize' Ed Sheeran, Macklemore fallout
