James Arthur reportedly dropped by Simon Cowell label after homophobic, terrorist lyrics row
James Arthur has reportedly been dropped from Simon Cowell’s Syco record label, over ‘terrorist-glamorising’ lyrics on a track referencing his homophobia row.
According to The Sun, a source had today claimed the label had finally “lost patience” with the X Factor winner, and dropped him less than two years after he won the competition.
The latest controversy is over track ‘Follow The Leader’, in which he references his homophobia row with the lyrics: “Look at what you do to me / I’m crying over stupid s*** / you’re such a f***ing homophobe / wish I’d never let you in / to think that I was thinking maybe I should let you live / I’m gonna blow up your family like I’m a terrorist.”
Arthur took to Twitter to defend the track, comparing it to Eminem’s hit song ‘Stan’.
The song “follow the leader” from the mixtape is not promoting terrorism, it’s a story, a reciting of a Stan Esc letter from a demented fan.
— James Arthur (@JamesArthur23) April 6, 2014
He later confirmed he did not know if he had been dropped, but said he was still with Syco ‘as far as I know’.
As far as I know I am still with syco but I am exclusively signed to Sony. People look too deeply into the media circus. It’s about music.
— James Arthur (@JamesArthur23) April 6, 2014
A source told the newspaper: “Simon and Syco have been extremely loyal to James throughout his problems but there’s only so much they are prepared to put up with.”
