On Oct. 10, the No Music for Genocide collective announced that Clairo, Lucy Dacus, Nao, and more have joined their ranks. Last month, the decentralized organization kicked off a boycott movement protesting what a United Nations commission and other organizations have deemed Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza in their war with Hamas following the attacks of Oct. 7, 2023. The No Music for Genocide boycott unites artists, labels, and music rights-holders in geo-blocking their music from Israel. Wolf Alice, Of Monsters and Men, Nilüfer Yanya, and Jorja Smith’s label Famm were also among new participants announced on Oct. 10 the same day a new ceasefire agreement took effect.
A representative for No Music for Genocide told Rolling Stone, “We’re hopeful that this new ceasefire will put an end to the worst of the worst, if Israel doesn’t violate it, but our urgency remains unchanged. The ‘peace plan,’ imposed on Palestinians under the threat of continued genocide, offers no guarantees or credible paths for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza; the end of Israeli apartheid and occupation; Palestinian rights to self-determination, self-governance, and the return of refugees; nor holding Israeli war criminals accountable.” The groups says over a 1,000 artists and labels have joined their boycott. According to Reuters, this first phase of the Trump administration’s plan to end the war gives Israeli troops 24 hours to pull from urban areas of Gaza, although they will still hold more than half of the area.
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No Music for Genocide launched on Sep. 17 with artists such as Faye Webster, Arca, MIKE, Japanese Breakfast, and redveil, participating. On Oct. 3, it announced that acts like Hayley Williams, Marina, Idles, Muna, Obongjayar, and many more joined as well. According to the group, Williams and Paramore — who had joined the boycott but found that their labels Atlantic Records and Warner Music Group overrode their geo-block in what they called a glitch — have gotten most of their music removed from streaming services in Israel as well.
“Many of our peers have felt, like ourselves, unsure how to use music in this moment,” organizers told Rolling Stone in September, citing their aims to “help reject political repression, shift public opinion toward justice, and refuse the art-washing and normalization of any company or nation that commits crimes against humanity.” They added that, “Our first goal with No Music For Genocide is to inspire others to reclaim their agency and direct their influence toward a tangible act.”
