Boy George has parted methods together with his file label supervisor after he refused to launch the singer’s pro-Israel music ‘We Will Dance Once more’.
The Tradition Membership frontman shared the controversial pop reggae observe on social media final week (July 26), nevertheless it has but to seem on conventional streaming platforms.
Its opening line, “You say genocide, I say warfare“, rejects descriptions of Israel’s army marketing campaign in Gaza as genocide, and the music goes on to criticise musicians who’ve publicly proven help for the individuals of Palestine.
Within the days since, George has withdrawn from an upcoming run as King Herod in Jesus Christ Famous person on the London Palladium, and has issued a press release defending the music in opposition to criticism, insisting he comes “from a spot of peace”.
Now, the singer has stated that the music has led him to chop ties with Tony Pontius, who had run his file label BGP for a number of years.
“In Buddhism we perceive that each motion comes with a consequence,” George wrote on social media right now (August 1). “Because of my resolution to face up for my Jewish pals I’m shedding a number of individuals from my life.”
In Buddhism we perceive that each motion comes with a consequence. Because of my resolution to face up for my Jewish pals I’m shedding a number of individuals from my life. At the moment I parted firm with Tony Pontius who has run my file label BGP for a variety of years. I wished to launch… pic.twitter.com/jOArrkCktF
— Boy George (@BoyGeorge) July 31, 2026
“At the moment I parted firm with Tony Pontius who has run my file label BGP for a variety of years. I wished to launch ‘We Will Dance Once more’ however he was unequivocal and stated ‘I would like nothing to do with this music’ and I responded ‘okay, we’re achieved’.”
George added: “When somebody is gutless it actually doesn’t harm to say goodbye. My religion in humanity is not going to diminish and the reality will at all times win. I’ll launch it!”
In addition to its opening line, the music, which George confirmed was made with the assistance of AI, references the Hamas-led assault on the Nova Music Competition on October 7, 2023, together with the lyric: “Musicians holding flags, mouthing like sheep / Propaganda fuelled by the web feels so weak“.
The singer later stated it was impressed by a go to to the Nova Music Competition Exhibition in London, the place he met Michael and Lisa Marlowe, whose British-Israeli son Jake was killed through the assault.
“My music is pro-peace,” he has stated. “The suggestion that I really feel no compassion for Palestinians is each unfaithful and absurd. I’m devastated for the lack of the harmless lives on either side of this warfare and I name for peace.”
“My private opinion is that that is sadly a warfare, however not an try and wipe out Palestine,” he stated. “However I respect that everybody has their very own opinions and consider we should always all be allowed to have that proper.”
The music was condemned by Heaven 17 and The Human League co-founder Martyn Ware as an “overtly pro-genocide, anti-Palestinian piece of musical propaganda”. Actor Patrick Clanton, who beforehand appeared alongside George within the Broadway manufacturing of Moulin Rouge!, additionally stated that he was “embarrassed” to have labored with him.
A United Nations-appointed Fee of Inquiry concluded in September 2025 that Israel had dedicated genocide in opposition to Palestinians in Gaza. Amnesty Worldwide has reached the identical conclusion.
Israel has repeatedly denied committing genocide or warfare crimes, sustaining that its army marketing campaign adopted the Hamas-led assaults of October 7 and was an act of self-defence. It rejected the UN Fee’s findings as “distorted and false” and a “libellous sham”.
Tradition Membership are presently as a result of return to the stage for ‘The Singles’ UK area tour with ABC and Haircut 100 this December.
