Singer Aaron Rowe, one of the supporting acts who dropped out of Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour after Macklemore was removed for his pro-Palestine remarks, says that backlash about the controversy is being misdirected.
In a video shared on social media Friday, Rowe told his followers that the real issue lies with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who said that Macklemore was not welcome at his stadium following his onstage call to “free Palestine” amid Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
“I'm gonna be honest, I think youse are all focusing on the wrong person here,” Rowe said in his video on Instagram. “All I keep hearing is Ed Sheeran this, Ed Sheeran that, when youse really should be focusing on the likes of Robert Kraft.”
He continued, “ You should really be focusing on the Zionist lobbies that are trying to silence the voices of people who are shouting about genocide.”
The Irish singer then went on to stick up for Sheeran, who said in an initial statement that he was “not complicit” in Macklemore being silenced and that he was not the one to make the decision to oust the rapper.
“I know Ed's statement could have been a lot better, and I do think that Macklemore shouldn't have been pulled off the tour,” Rowe said. “I fully believe it was panic stations over there and they rushed the decision because they didn't know what to f***ing do because they were getting it from all angles.”
Rowe said that he has not been able to speak much with Sheeran, but that “I fully believe he knows that was a mistake.” He added that Sheeran would not have chosen pro-Palestine acts Macklemore, Beoga, BIIRD and others if he had been against their political stances.
“All he has inside of him is kindness,” he said. “That is who Ed Sheeran is. And yes, like every other human being he makes f***ing mistakes.”
He said that protesters should be “using this opportunity to plaster Robert Kraft's face everywhere. Someone who tried to shut down free speech, someone who tried to silence the voices of people who are shouting about genocide.”
Rowe was one of the four supporting acts who dropped out of Sheeran’s U.S. leg of his Loop tour after the decision to remove Macklemore following his comments in support of the Palestinian people. Other acts who backed out were fellow Irish artist Beoga, Danish band Lukas Graham and Finneas.
