Boy George has parted ways with his record label manager after he refused to release the singer’s pro-Israel song ‘We Will Dance Again’.
The Culture Club frontman shared the controversial pop reggae track on social media last week (July 26), but it has yet to appear on traditional streaming platforms.
Its opening line, “You say genocide, I say war“, rejects descriptions of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as genocide, and the song goes on to criticise musicians who have publicly shown support for the people of Palestine.
In the days since, George has withdrawn from an upcoming run as King Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium, and has issued a statement defending the song against criticism, insisting he comes “from a place of peace”.
Now, the singer has said that the song has led him to cut ties with Tony Pontius, who had run his record label BGP for several years.
“In Buddhism we understand that every action comes with a consequence,” George wrote on social media today (August 1). “Due to my decision to stand up for my Jewish friends I am losing a few people from my life.”
In Buddhism we understand that every action comes with a consequence. Due to my decision to stand up for my Jewish friends I am losing a few people from my life. Today I parted company with Tony Pontius who has run my record label BGP for a number of years. I wanted to release… pic.twitter.com/jOArrkCktF
— Boy George (@BoyGeorge) July 31, 2026
“Today I parted company with Tony Pontius who has run my record label BGP for a number of years. 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’.”
George added: “When someone is gutless it really does not hurt to say goodbye. My faith in humanity will not diminish and the truth will always win. I will release it!”
As well as its opening line, the song, which George confirmed was made with the help of AI, references the Hamas-led attack on the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023, including the lyric: “Musicians holding flags, mouthing like sheep / Propaganda fuelled by the internet feels so weak“.
The singer later said it was inspired by a visit to the Nova Music Festival Exhibition in London, where he met Michael and Lisa Marlowe, whose British-Israeli son Jake was killed during the attack.
“My song is pro-peace,” he has said. “The suggestion that I feel no compassion for Palestinians is both untrue and absurd. I am devastated for the loss of the innocent lives on both sides of this war and I call for peace.”
“My personal opinion is that this is sadly a war, but not an attempt to wipe out Palestine,” he said. “But I respect that everyone has their own opinions and believe we should all be allowed to have that right.”
The song was condemned by Heaven 17 and The Human League co-founder Martyn Ware as an “overtly pro-genocide, anti-Palestinian piece of musical propaganda”. Actor Patrick Clanton, who previously appeared alongside George in the Broadway production of Moulin Rouge!, also said that he was “embarrassed” to have worked with him.
A United Nations-appointed Commission of Inquiry concluded in September 2025 that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Amnesty International has reached the same conclusion.
Israel has repeatedly denied committing genocide or war crimes, maintaining that its military campaign followed the Hamas-led attacks of October 7 and was an act of self-defence. It rejected the UN Commission’s findings as “distorted and false” and a “libellous sham”.
Culture Club are currently due to return to the stage for ‘The Singles’ UK arena tour with ABC and Haircut 100 this December.
