Boy George has announced that he has split from his record label manager who wanted “nothing to do” with his new pro-Israel track.
The Culture Club singer, 65, sparked backlash this week after releasing a song, titled עוד נרקוד in Hebrew and “We Will Dance Again” in English, which defends Israel’s military action in Palestine and refutes the idea that a genocide in being carried out in Gaza.
On Saturday, Boy George revealed that he had quit the role of King Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar over the controversy and now, the fallout continues – with the singer cutting ties with his record label manager.
Taking to X, the singer wrote on Saturday 1 August: “In Buddhism we understand that every action comes with a consequence. Due to my decision to stand up for my Jewish friends I am losing a few people from my life.
“Today I parted company with Tony Pontius who has run my record label BGP for a number of years. I wanted to release “We Will Dance Again” but he was unequivocal and said ”I want nothing to do with this song” and I responded “ok, we are done”.
“When someone is gutless it really does not hurt to say goodbye. My faith in humanity will not diminish and the truth will always win. I will release it!”
The Independent has contacted Tony Pontius and BGP’s parent company Hottwerk for comment.
The controversial song is currently unavailable on streaming services, with Boy George telling fans to purchase it on music distributor Bandcamp. “You can buy it, it’s cheap,” he told his Instagram followers on Saturday. “I really want the song to be out there and be heard and be played in cars and bars and people’s houses, out the window. Wherever it can be played really.
“Not everyone’s happy with it. I will be re-recording the song myself in the next few days and singing it very proudly,” he said, before adding: “F*** the haters.”
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Since announcing the track, Boy George has faced criticism over the song’s lyrics, which appear to dismiss the idea of Israel committing genocide in Gaza and include the opening line: “You say genocide, I say war/ When you’re attacked, that’s what the army’s for/ Does it get ugly? You bet it does/ When I know you wanna kill every last one of us.”
He also appears to criticise the pro-Palestine movement in the song, singing: “You condemn, with selective memory/ Musicians holding flags, mouthing like sheep/ Propaganda fuelled by the internet feels so weak.”
In September, the United Nations declared that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza following a two-year investigation, citing the bombardment that has killed over 73,000 Palestinians since the war started, the forced displacement of most of the two-million strong population, the destruction of the healthcare system as well as the blocking of essential food, water, aid and electricity that has led to famine.
It also described the “use of starvation as a weapon” along with the torture, rape and sexual assault of Palestinian detainees, and environmental destruction. Israel’s foreign ministry hit back at the UN’s report, calling it “distorted and false”, and branded another independent UN inquiry – which found that Israel was continuing to commit genocide by targeting children – as a “libellous sham”.
On Friday, Boy George addressed the backlash to his track after dropping out of Jesus Chris Superstar, in which he was due to play King Herod from 3 to 15 August. In a statement given to The Sun, he said: “Sometimes, I realise that being an air sign I expect the world to understand me without having to explain myself.
“The suggestion that I feel no compassion for Palestinians is both untrue and absurd. I am devastated for the loss of the innocent lives on both sides of this war and I call for peace.”
He added that he was inspired to write the song after meeting the family and friends of those who were killed at the Nova music festival attack by Hamas on 7 October 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and caused Israel to launch a two-year barrage of strikes against Gaza in response.
“I could have been there and we know that there were people from more than 40 countries who were,” Boy George continued, saying that he comes “from a place of peace”.