{"id":73107,"date":"2026-09-18T20:43:29","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T20:43:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/18\/aaron-rowe-defends-ed-sheeran-says-focus-should-be-on-robert-kraft\/"},"modified":"2026-09-18T20:43:29","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T20:43:29","slug":"aaron-rowe-defends-ed-sheeran-says-focus-should-be-on-robert-kraft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/18\/aaron-rowe-defends-ed-sheeran-says-focus-should-be-on-robert-kraft\/","title":{"rendered":"Aaron Rowe Defends Ed Sheeran, Says Focus Should Be on Robert Kraft"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n\tIrish singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe has spoken out in support of Ed Sheeran<\/a> and said that people are focusing on the wrong person and issue. Rowe abandoned opening for Sheeran<\/a>\u2018s Loop Tour in the wake of Macklemore<\/a> being forced off<\/a>\u00a0it<\/a> after making onstage comments in support of Palestinians and criticized Israel\u2019s war in Gaza.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI\u2019m gonna be honest. I think you are all focusing on the wrong person here,\u201d Rowe said in an lengthy, edited video posted to Instagram<\/a> on Friday. \u201cAll I keep hearing is Ed Sheeran this, Ed Sheeran that \u2014 when you really should be focusing on the likes of [New England Patriots owner] Robert Kraft. You really should be focusing on the Zionist lobbies that are trying to silence the voices of people who are shouting about genocide, the genocide that is happening in Palestine right now by Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHe acknowledged that Sheeran\u2019s statement in the wake of the fallout \u201ccould have been a lot better.\u201d (Sheeran said the decision was not his<\/a>, but that of the promoter Messina Touring Group, combined with pressure from venues as orchestrated by Kraft.)<\/p>\n

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\n\tRowe affirmed that he didn\u2019t think Macklemore should\u2019ve been pulled off the tour, and thought that panic led to someone rushing a decision. \u201cI haven\u2019t had a chance to fucking talk to Ed too much, but I fully believe he knows that was a mistake,\u201d he said. Rowe cited that everyone on the lineup supported Palestinians living in Gaza. \u201cLike, if Ed Sheeran was a fucking Zionist, why would he have all these fucking people on the fucking tour?\u201d Rowe added.<\/p>\n

\n\tRowe said he believed Sheeran knows he made a mistake and took his home country of Ireland, other governments, the media, and the music industry to task who he said have \u201cdone fuck all\u201d about the situation, despite having \u201cso much money and so much power that they\u2019re able to basically shut down any opinion that they don\u2019t agree with.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\u201cYou should be using this opportunity to plaster Robert Kraft\u2019s face everywhere, someone who tried to shut down free speech, someone who tried to silence the voices of people who are shouting out genocide,\u201d he added. \u201cThat\u2019s what you should be using your energy on, not fucking Ed Sheeran, for fuck\u2019s sake.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tDoubling down on his stance after his removal from the tour, Macklemore pledged to donate $1 million<\/a> to Palestinian support groups and challenged Kraft \u201cto match\u201d him. Kraft responded with a statement<\/a> that included a $2 million committment \u201cto aid in the region to fight this humanitarian crisis,\u201d claiming it was a match to a donation from Sheeran. A rep for Sheeran did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone<\/em>\u2019s request for comment about the statement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n