As they say, any publicity is good publicity.
The last person anyone would expect to weigh in on the October 7 attacks, Israel’s war in Gaza and the wider occupation of Palestinian territories was Boy George.
But seemingly out of nowhere, that’s exactly what happened, causing a schism in the fanbase and an onslaught of publicity.
The track, titled ‘We Will Dance Again’, is a three minute track that fills a listener’s ears with a lightly autotuned Boy George, backed by a bright, groovy reggae instrumental that starkly contrasts some of the lyrics.
The track was released solely on the singer’s Instagram, with the simple caption ‘#shalom’.
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The track showcases George’s pro-Israel stance straight away with the line “You say genocide, I say war”.
Through layers of vocal effects and multiple horns, George shouts “I stand with the Jews”.
The long since relevant singer closes off the track with an utterance of Hebrew.
While a great many Jewish fans praise the track, some fans have done the opposite.
A fan on Reddit shared it was ‘extremely disappointing’ since George isn’t even Israeli, but an Irish Catholic.
“If anyone should be against oppression, it’s Irish Catholics”
The track’s arrival seems extremely odd and feels like a senseless act by the artist to gain some quick relevance.
However, Boy George has been publicly pro-Israel for quite some time.
This is just the most extreme instance.
During a Eurovision event earlier this year, he rejected pressure from the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement but stating “our Jewish community brings us so much”.
Whatever stunt Boy George pulls next, a further divide in the fanbase will surely unfold.
