Boy George threatens to fire band members over song backlash

Boy George has threatened to fire band members who refuse to perform his new song, ‘We Will Dance Again’, live. In an Instagram video, the 65-year-old musician addressed backlash regarding the track, which features an AI-generated reggae backing track and lyrics addressing the October 7 attacks.

The song has drawn criticism for lyrics such as ‘You say Genocide, I say war’ and ‘When you’re attacked, that’s what the army’s for’. Boy George defended his use of artificial intelligence in the creative process, stating that AI removes ‘human interference’ and allows him to work without ‘gatekeepers’ who might otherwise object to controversial content.

He argued that using AI does not make him lazy or uncreative, comparing the process to a songwriter working with a lyricist. He maintained that the lyrics and melody remain his own, despite the technological assistance used for the backing track.