Boy George is dropping out of a London production of Jesus Christ Superstar, the “Karma Chameleon” singer’s manager said on Instagram on Thursday, days after he stirred controversy after releasing his AI-generated, pro-Israel song “We Will Dance Again.”
“The decision has been made with the utmost respect for the producers, the creative team and the entire company,” manager Paul Kemsley wrote on Thursday. Boy George was set to play King Herod starting in August. Kemsley didn’t specify why George was leaving but wrote that the singer “has never been afraid to stand by his personal convictions, and I have always respected him for that.”
“Equally, I believe it is my responsibility to make decisions that are in the best interests of my artist while also showing respect to others,” Kemsley said. “In this instance, I felt it was right to step aside, allowing the production to remain the focus, while ensuring everyone involved can move forward with mutual respect and goodwill.”
Kemsley made the announcement just days after George shared “We Will Dance Again” on social media. Boy George confirmed the song was made with AI on Threads earlier this week, writing that “I call it ‘AI for good’. Truthfully, I would struggle to write this with a human!” At press time, it’s unclear what of the song is AI-generated and what was human made. Making an AI song of any sort isn’t exactly surprising at this point for Boy George, who spoke with The Hollywood Reporter last month about using AI to gain ownership of his hits by re-recording them.
