Boy George parts with manager over pro Israel song

British singer Boy George has parted ways with his longtime record label manager after a dispute over the release of a new song expressing support for Israel. The singer announced the split on August 1, stating that manager Tony Pontius, who ran Boy George's label BGP, refused to be involved with the track titled "We Will Dance Again."

The song, which also has a Hebrew title, is a reggae-style tribute to the victims of the Hamas-led attack on the Nova music festival in Israel on October 7, 2023. Its lyrics defend Israel's military actions in Gaza and reject accusations of genocide, opening with the line, "You say genocide, I say war / When you're attacked, that's what the army's for." Boy George said he was inspired to write it after meeting with families of those killed in the festival attack.

In a social media post, the 65-year-old singer explained the managerial breakup. "I wanted to release 'We Will Dance Again' but he was unequivocal and said 'I want nothing to do with this song' and I responded ok, we are done," Boy George wrote. He added, "When someone is gutless it really does not hurt to say goodbye," and vowed to release the song independently.