On Thursday, January 16, it was announced that Harry Styles was set to headline Pepsi Zero Sugar’s Pre-Super Bowl party on Friday, January 31.
“I’m excited to be playing the Pepsi Super Bowl party this year. I hear they’re amazing and I’m looking forward to it. See you in Miami – H,” the Fine Line singer said in a brief statement about the upcoming event.
Shortly after this news broke, some fans took to social media and urged Harry to back out of the performance to show support for football player Colin Kaepernick. For those who don’t know, the 32-year-old quarterback has not been a part of the NFL since 2016. He sparked controversy in the league after he knelt down on one knee during the National Anthem, to take a stand against police brutality and racial inequality.
Twitter users and fans of the One Direction member trended #HarryBackOut on the social media site, with some suggesting that this performance may go against the 25-year-old’s beliefs.
“Correct me if I’m [wrong] but Pepsi and NFL have been proven several times that their brand doesn’t stand for pride and equality at all. Seeing Harry perform for [the Super Bowl] is truly disappointing considering his message for his audience has always been about being [kind],” one fan explained in a series of tweets. “If he can’t back out now due to business/contract reasons fine but we at least need to hear an explanation coming from him or his team. POC and black [fans] deserve better than this and I know Harry can speak up for what he stands for: being nice.”
As fans know, Harry’s trademark line is, “Treat people with kindness,” and he’s even been spotted with a “Black Lives Matter” sticker on his guitar in the past.
“Harry, this sticker isn’t doing enough. Say something. Do something,” another user wrote.
A third added, “Stop defending Harry 24/7. It’s okay to call out your idol when they do something wrong. He needs to learn and educate himself. Especially because he constantly preaches about love and equality. He needs to act on it as much as he preaches it.”
Harry has yet to respond to fans’ pleas.
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