Lana Del Rey took to Twitter on Sunday to defend her decision to perform next month at the Meteor Festival in Israel.
The singer was responding to criticism from pro-Palestine groups and calls for her to pull out of the event.
“Performing in Tel Aviv is not a political statement or a commitment to the politics there,” Del Rey insisted.
“I believe music is universal and should be used to bring us together. We signed on to the show w the intention that it would be performed for the kids there and my plan was for it to be done w a loving energy w a thematic emphasis on peace.”
Del Rey said she and her band “don’t always agree with the politics of the places we play within or even in our own country.”
She added: “I’m a simple singer, I’m doing my best to navigate the waters of the constant tumultuous hardships in the war-torn countries all over the world that I travel through monthly.”
— Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) August 19, 2018
— Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) August 19, 2018
Late last year, Lorde responded to similar criticism by cancelling a concert in Israel. “I pride myself on being an informed young citizen," she explained in a statement at the time, "and I had done a lot of reading and sought a lot of opinions before deciding to book a show in tel aviv, but I’m not too proud to admit I didn’t make the right call on this one."
The Jerusalem Post criticized Lorde for bowing to pressure from pro-Palestine groups. “Lorde is supposed to play music. Unfortunately, this time she let herself be played."