Updated
Criticism from some conservatives opposed to the politics of Macklemore's Same Love has not dulled support for the hip-hop singer's pro-same-sex marriage song ahead of his performance at the NRL grand final.
The track, which was written with Ryan Lewis and Mary Lambert, hit number one on iTunes in Australia after former prime minister Tony Abbott argued that "footy fans shouldn't be subjected to a politicised grand final".
The controversy comes as millions of Australians have their say on marriage laws in the country, with vigorous campaigning from both sides of the debate.
The song hit number one on iTunes in Australia on Thursday night, a sign the singer said showed "love is winning".
"Yesterday someone started a petition in Australia to ban me from playing Same Love at the #NRLGF. Today it's #1 on iTunes," he wrote.
The 30-year-old rapper had already weighed in on the controversy surrounding his appearance at the final, on Tuesday telling a Los Angeles radio station that he was getting "a lot of tweets from angry old white men in Australia who I think there was a petition today to ban me from playing [Same Love]".
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull last night joined Attorney-General George Brandis in rebuking Mr Abbott's comments, describing the American as a "great artist", who should be allowed to sing all his hits on Sunday.
Soon after its release in 2013, Same Love hit the top 40 in the United States, becoming one of the first pro-same-sex-marriage songs to make it into the charts.
It was also embraced by marriage equality campaigners around the world, particularly in the US as the issue was being considered by several states and the Supreme Court.
But it was not without its critics.
Some questioned the authenticity of a straight man championing the issue of same-sex marriage, arguing in a number of think pieces that Macklemore was free to champion the issue without facing the homophobia endured by gay people.
It was always intended to have a political impact, with the Thrift Shop singer taking aim at a number of people in the song for their views of gay people.
In it, the hip-hop artist, whose real name is Ben Haggerty, criticises rappers and social media for using gay slurs as well as slamming religious leaders for their stance on same-sex marriage.
"No freedom 'til we're equal. Damn right I support it," he sings, making his stance on the issue very clear.
Macklemore told media at the time that the song was inspired by a story he read about a teenager who committed suicide after being bullied, and was intended to shine a light on the issue.
"I just wanted to hold myself accountable and hold hip-hop accountable and bring up an issue that was being pushed under the rug," he told the New York Times.
The US artist is no stranger to criticism, having been labelled a "culture vulture" following the release of his comeback single Downtown.
"In terms of hip-hop culture, what am I giving to the culture? How am I participating in an authentic way that is actually giving something to the culture and not just taking from it?" he told triple j at the time.
"That's a question that as a white rapper I need to constantly be asking myself.
"[A question] I've been asking myself a long time and will continue [to] for the rest of my career is: What am I actually giving and what am I taking? And how can I better this culture?"
He was also forced to apologise in 2014 for wearing a costume that was interpreted by some as being a Jewish caricature.
He dressed up in a black beard and wig and donned a large nose while attending an event at a Seattle museum, drawing backlash online, including from Jewish comedian Seth Rogen, for wearing an "anti-Semitic costume".
"I acknowledge how the costume could, within a context of stereotyping, be ascribed to a Jewish caricature," he said.
"I am here to say that it was absolutely not my intention, and unfortunately at the time I did not foresee the costume to be viewed in such regard."
Topics: music, arts-and-entertainment, gays-and-lesbians, community-and-society, government-and-politics, australia
First posted