Julian Casablancas + The Voidz stopped by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Wednesday night to perform their new song, “Blue Demon,” which features lyrics appearing to reference the Israel-Palestine conflict. However, CBS did not allow some of those lyrics to be heard on air.
On the track, Casablancas sings: “We fight each other like two brothers/ Father forgive me, intifada/ Too many babies dead like their mothers.” CBS censored “intifada” as well as a second mention of the word in “Blue Demon.”
Intifada is an Arabic word for a resistance movement. The term has been used to reference previous uprisings against Israeli control in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The First Intifada took place from 1987 to 1993, with the Second Intifada occurring between 2000 and 2005.
Adding further context to the line “Too many babies dead like their mothers,” 70% of verified victims in the current Gaza war have been women and children, as of November 2024.
“Blue Demon” was released just last week. Before the performance, Colbert said it will appear on The Voidz’s upcoming spring EP, Megz of Ram, which has yet to receive an official announcement. Their most recent album was last year’s Like All Before You (get your copy here).
Up next, The Voidz have lined up a pair of August dates. After playing IDLES’ Bristol Block Party, they’ll head over to Italy for an appearance at Ypsigrock Festival.