The U.K.-based record label Ninja Tune reportedly ceased all marketing and promotion of Róisín Murphy’s album Hit Parade prior to its release due to her criticisms of puberty blockers for minors. The album debuted at No. 5 in the UK, and reached No. 2 the following week.
Weeks in advance of the Irish singer and songwriter’s album Hit Parade release on September 8, a screenshot from her private Facebook account was circulated on social media.
“Please don’t call me a terf [trans-exclusionary radical feminist], please don’t keep using that word against women,” Murphy wrote. “I beg you!”
“[B]ut puberty blockers ARE F*CKED, absolutely desolate, big Pharma laughing all the way to the bank,” Murphy continued. “Little mixed up kids are vulnerable and need to be protected, that’s just true.”
After being characterized as “transphobic” and facing backlash, Murphy issued an apology on August 29.
“You must have felt a huge shock, blindsided by this so abruptly,” she wrote. “I understand fixed views are not helpful but I really hope people can understand my concern was out of love for all of us.”
“I will now completely bow out of this conversation within the public domain. I’m not in the slightest bit interested in turning it into ANY kind of ‘campaign’, because campaigning is not what I do,” her statement reads. She did not explicitly disavow or retract her comments, nor did she explicitly mention transgender individuals.
The Toronto Star reported on August 30 that the Murphy’s record label, Ninja Tune, would cease its marketing and promotional campaign for the album.
“The source added that the label plans to donate all proceeds from album sales to organizations dedicated to combating transphobia,” the Toronto Star reported.
Murphy denied the claims, writing on social media that the record label had not issued an official statement and that it had no intention of donating proceeds.
Murphy’s album debuted at No. 5 in the UK, making it her first-ever solo top ten album. It reached No. 2 on the U.K. charts, following Olivia Rodrigo’s album GUTS. Her 2020 album Róisín Machine debuted at No. 14.
The BBC 6 Music station ceased playing Murphy’s songs on September 1 and purged her from scheduled programming, the Daily Mail reported. The BBC was set to feature hours of Murphy’s content, including her music and interviews, as part of its 6 Music Artist Collection programming. The replacement content features British-Nigerian rapper known as “Little Simz.”
The BBC denied cancelling the Murphy programming due to her gender-related comments.
“Little Simz was scheduled to reflect 6 Music’s Way With Words programming, which celebrates poetry, rap and spoken word, and airs the following week, tying in with National Poetry Day,” a BBC spokesperson told The Independent.