British musician Boy George has accused the music distribution platform Bandcamp of removing his profile after backlash against the controversial AI-generated pro‑Israel song We Will Dance Again, calling the owners “a bunch of c---s” in a caption under a social media video.

In the video posted to Instagram on Tuesday (AEST), the former The Voice Australia judge, whose real name is George Alan O’Dowd, said: “Sadly, Bandcamp have removed my profile, so anyone trying to get a copy of We Will Dance Again will have to wait until I record it and find a way to put it out.”

George then accused the platform of having “taken money” in the video – although he didn’t specify from whom – and said he hoped it would issue a refund before urging fans to listen and share the song.

On its update blog, Bandcamp wrote in January that “music and audio that is generated wholly or in substantial part by AI is not permitted on Bandcamp”.

However, on Wednesday morning (AEST) George hit back on X, alleging that “despite the claims of @bandcamp there is a shitload of AI-assisted music all over the website and to deny this is not only misleading but moronic”.

“It appears they have bowed to the pressure of antisemites because the system, just like any digital platform cannot tell if something is AI. Or maybe the problem is internal but I don’t buy the no AI policy because @bandcamp has it in droves,” he wrote.

What’s the song?

Released via social media on July 27, We Will Dance Again is an AI-generated reggae track – with vocals that sound nothing like George – that voices support for Israel’s military action in Palestine, with the opening lyrics stating: “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”.

George references Hamas’ attack on Israel and specifically the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, saying revellers killed were “murder[ed] … for the crime of dancing”.

The phrase “We will dance again” has been used by Israelis as a phrase for resilience during the Gaza war in reference to the Nova festival, and was the title of a 2024 documentary that looked at the attack on the festival.

The attack resulted in the deaths of more than 1200 Israelis across the country, while about 240 were taken hostage.

Since the attack and subsequent war in Gaza, more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Gaza Ministry of Health.

How the backlash has played out

George’s criticism of Bandcamp is the latest in a series of developments since backlash began after the song’s release. Last Friday, his manager pulled him out of his role as King Herod in a West End production of Jesus Christ Superstar following the backlash.

Paul Kemsley, the Culture Club frontman’s manager, said in an Instagram post that he had “decided, in my capacity as Boy George’s manager, that he will no longer be appearing in Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium”.

“George has never been afraid to stand by his personal convictions, and I have always respected him for that. 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,” the post continued.

“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.”

Days later, George said he had parted ways with the longtime manager of his independent record label, BGP (Boy George Presents), Tony Pontius, after he refused to be involved with the song’s release.

“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,” O’Dowd said in a post to X on Sunday.

“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.”

The 65‑year‑old has stood by his song, taking to X to say: “It doesn’t matter what I think or what you think. When will you realise you’re doing NOTHING! … I am even falling out with Jewish friends. The madness knows no bounds.”

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