After reports surfaced that the Ke$ha song "Die Young" was pulled from the airwaves after the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary school, the singer has spoken out about her song, and the tragedy itself.
"I'm so so so sorry for anyone who has been (affected) by this tragedy. and I understand why my song is now inappropriate. words cannot express," Ke$ha tweeted Tuesday.
The lyrics to the song include repetitions of the phrase, "we're gonna die young," and according to Billboard, Ke$ha later tweeted (then deleted) her thoughts on the problematic lyrics. According to Billboard, the tweet read, "i understand. I had my very own issue with 'die young' for this reason. I did NOT want to sing those lyrics and I was FORCED TO."
WDAQ radio's program director and morning host Rich Minor told Billboard.com that the song was no longer in rotation on the Danbury, Conn., station."We've been playing it before Friday but not since and I think we're now done with it," he said. "Even though it's a fun pop/dance record about seizing the moment, all people are going to hear right now is those two words in the title."
Ke$ha isn't the only artist whose work has come under additional scrutiny in the days since the Dec. 14 shooting. Foster the People's "Pumped up Kicks" has reportedly been pulled out of rotation at Los Angeles radio station KIIS-FM.
The lyrics from that song include the chorus, "All the other kids with the pumped up kicks / You better run, better run, outrun my gun / All the other kids with the pumped up kicks, You better run, better run, faster than my bullet /
While the Foster the People Twitter page does not include comments about the lyrics of their hit song, there are multiple tweets expressing sympathy for the victims of Sandy Hook. Among them, one written Wednesday: "Days later, still sitting in my room with tears behind my eyes trying to think of a way forward. This country is so polarized."
Publicists for Ke$ha, Foster the People, and the program manager for KIIS-FM did not respond to requests for comment.
Related content: