Keith Urban’s recent performance at Mar-a-Lago has sparked backlash among fans of Chappell Roan, the artist behind the queer anthem Pink Pony Club. On Saturday, Urban was a musical guest at a private party hosted by Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt, which was also attended by former U.S. president Donald Trump. Videos posted from the event show Urban performing covers of Bob Marley’s Is This Love alongside Roan’s Pink Pony Club.
The controversy largely stems from the setting of the performance, given that the song is celebrated as a vibrant, inclusive anthem within LGBTQ+ communities, while the event was a conservative gathering, attended by a figure known for policies and rhetoric perceived as hostile to LGBTQ+ rights. Anthony Pratt, the host, is notable for his significant financial backing of Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, having donated $10 million, and pledged $5 billion towards a campaign to ‘reindustrialise’ the U.S.
Urban’s choice to perform Pink Pony Club in this context drew swift criticism on social platforms like Twitter and Reddit. Fans expressed bewilderment and disappointment, with one user calling it ‘actual blasphemy’ to perform a song so strongly associated with queer liberation at such an event. Others remarked on the surreal nature of the situation, highlighting the contradiction of the song’s message against the political backdrop.
Interestingly, Urban has been openly appreciative of the song’s meaning. In an interview earlier this year on the Canadian web series Intimate and Interactive, he described Pink Pony Club as ‘a great song’ that almost moved him to tears. He spoke of its message about finding a safe space and sense of belonging, emphasizing its universal resonance beyond any single community.
Pink Pony Club, co-written by Roan and inspired by her experiences at a gay bar in Los Angeles, tells the story of a woman moving to Southern California to work as a dancer in a club ‘where boys and girls can all be queens every single day.’ Released in 2023, it has become one of the defining queer anthems of the decade, particularly embraced by lesbians and queer women. Its success is marked by chart achievements, with the song breaking into the top 10 alongside Roan’s 2024 single Good Luck, Babe, which reached number four.
[Picture: Keith Urban Greatest Hits]
Source: Noah Wire Services
TOP EVENTS
TOP EVENTS
