When the White House repurposed a popular Jet2 Holidays meme video featuring Jess Glynne's hit "Hold My Hand" to highlight ICE deportations, the backlash was immediate and loud.

“This post honestly makes me sick,” Glynne wrote on Instagram Stories.

“My music is about love, unity and spreading positivity, never about division or hate.”

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From Viral Tiktok Jet2 Meme to Political Misstep

The White House turned what began as a lighthearted TikTok trend, people sharing travel misadventures to the happy Jet2 Holidays advertisement while singing Glynne's song into something dark. They released images of people in handcuffs being hauled onto flights with the caption:

“When ICE books you a one-way Jet2 holiday to deportation. Nothing beats it!”

Glynne's song was initially associated with an advertisement promoting cheerful package holidays, not political messaging.

With her answer, Glynne joins a growing list of musicians, including Semisonic, Queen, Rihanna, and Neil Young, who have vocally condemned the unauthorised use of their songs by political campaigns or governments.

She established a clear boundary with her forceful message:

She embraced the meme as fun, but refuses it being used to propagate political policies she opposes.

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Meme Culture's Strength and Danger

Early in 2024, Jet2's commercial featuring the song "Hold My Hand" became well-known, encouraging users to make memes about holiday disasters. The wit of the campaign was praised; Jet2 even offered a $1,000 lip-sync challenge.

Following that, a post from the White House reframed the sound as political messaging regarding deportation, drawing criticism from people of all political stripes.

With her strong message, she set a clear boundary:

“Even as a Trump supporter, that was on the cringe side.”

Voiceover actor Zoë Lister, whose voice featured in the meme, also condemned the campaign:

“What can be done about the whitehouse using jet2pics sound and my voiceover to promote their nasty agenda?”

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Music & Meaning: What Glynne Is Defending

Glynne's sadness stemmed not only from the tone mismatch, but also from the message inversion.

“Hold My Hand was written about love, support, and standing by someone through everything; it’s meant to offer hope and empowerment.”

The image of immigrants being held overshadowed that message. "There is nothing more unifying and positive than deporting criminal illegal aliens…," the White House said in defense of its post, promising that "the memes will continue."

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Why It Echoes Beyond One Meme

• Meme culture is not neutral; as circumstances change, even funny phenomena can be exploited as weapons.
• Artists maintain moral control over the use of their music.
• When state actors exploit viral content to make policy remarks, platforms face more scrutiny.
• When art is exploited without permission, the public reacts rapidly, creating debates over ethics, copyright, and borders.

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Final Take

Not only is Jess Glynne angry that her song is being used improperly, but she is also setting a boundary. Her response serves as a reminder that each track has integrity, identity, and meaning.

It establishes a precedent if one artist is able to recover their voice in opposition to a government narrative.

And in today’s meme economy, every song, and every move, matters.

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