Ed Sheeran's Dilemma: When Artists Must Choose Between Free Speech and Commercial Pressure Ed Sheeran's recent Instagram statement has left many questions unanswered after he distanced himself from the decision to drop Macklemore from his US tour.
The controversy surrounding Macklemore's pro Palestinian statements at two New Jersey concerts highlights the tension between artistic freedom and commercial pressure.
The venues that hosted Sheeran's concerts in New Jersey applied pressure on the tour promoters to have Macklemore removed from the line up, demonstrating how easily art can become entangled with politics.