Days after releasing the controversial pro-Israel song “We Will Dance Again,” Boy George has withdrawn from a London production of the musical “Jesus Christ Superstar.” George had been scheduled to play King Herod from Aug. 3 to 15.
George’s manager announced on social media that the veteran singer would no longer take part in the production at the London Palladium.
Boy George
(Photo: Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)
“The decision has been made with the utmost respect for the producers, the creative team and the entire company,” he wrote, apologizing to fans who had bought tickets in hopes of seeing George perform.
“George has never been afraid to stand by his personal convictions, and I have always respected him for that,” the manager added. “Equally, I believe it is my responsibility to make decisions that are in the best interests of my artist while also showing respect to others. In this instance, I felt it was right to step aside, allowing the production to remain the focus, while ensuring everyone involved can move forward with mutual respect and goodwill.”
George drew criticism earlier this week after sharing the new song on social media. Its title echoes a phrase associated with survivors of the October 7 Nova music festival massacre.
In the song, George sings, in part: “You say genocide / I say war / When you’re attacked / That's what the army's for / Did it get ugly? You bet it does / When I know you want to kill every last one of us.”
He continues: “You never mention October 7 / Young girls raped against trees / Murdered brutally / For the crime of dancing / You condemn the Jews / With selective memory. Musicians holding flags, mouthing like sheep / Propaganda fuelled by the Internet feels so weak.”
The song then moves into a recurring chorus: “But trust me, we will dance again / And there will be no war / But if you're ever confused / I stand with the Jews / I don't feel brave, I just need to behave like a human.”
It ends with George singing in Hebrew, repeating the opening idea: “You say genocide / I say war / When they come to kill you.”
George’s post prompted a wave of backlash and was flooded with hundreds of pro-Palestinian comments. The singer later responded to the controversy.
“It doesn't matter what I think or what you think,” he wrote on X. “When will you realise you're doing NOTHING! It's a fucking joke. I am even falling out with Jewish friends. The madness knows no bounds.”
Boy George, who was raised in an Irish Catholic family and is not Jewish, has expressed support for Israel in the past.
Earlier this year, he said at a Eurovision event in London: “Are people asking me, as someone with principles, to turn my back on my Jewish friends? That is not going to happen – it will never happen.”
Unlike many artists who have called for a boycott of Israel, Boy George has also previously rejected calls by the BDS movement not to perform in Tel Aviv.