Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos clears air on their band trending after Soleimani airstrike

Soon after the assassination, #WWIII and #FranzFerdinand began trending on Twitter because people began drawing parallels between him and Austrian major general Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose killing triggered World War I. 
PUBLISHED JAN 4, 2020
(L-R) Dino Bardot, Julian Corrie, Alex Kapranos, Paul Thomson, and Bob Hardy of Franz Ferdinand (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
(L-R) Dino Bardot, Julian Corrie, Alex Kapranos, Paul Thomson, and Bob Hardy of Franz Ferdinand (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump-authorized drone strike that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani may have a hard-to-control ripple effect. As the world prepares to fight the repercussions, Scottish band Franz Ferdinand has busied itself in clearing their name that accidentally got dragged into world politics.

Soon after the Soleimani assassination, #WWIII and #FranzFerdinand began trending on Twitter because people began drawing parallels between him and Austrian major general Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose killing triggered World War I. Frontman Alex Kapranos responded with dismay, said he didn't want his band's name to be up and trending because of this.

"This is not how I wanted to see the name of my band trending on Twitter #FranzFerdinand," he tweeted. Nothing goes unjudged on Twitter. A user immediately criticized Alex that he had picked a "strange name" for his band. However, he had the most sorted reply to the comment: "I naively presumed that history was something best learned from rather than repeated," the musician wrote.

Meanwhile, there were plenty of people who understood where Alex was coming from and supported him. "I don’t think anyone wanted to see the band name trending like this," a fan posted. While another tweeted: "I thought we were having something new from the band... Then I saw reality... It's sad and worrying all at the same time."

"Oooh @alkapranos how sad, really sad, at one point in history we think that @Franz_Ferdinand was just part of the past and that he would not return to something like that, I suppose that the cyclical story continues its path and still surprises us," a fan commented. 

The Soleimani assassination has had a grave impact and as world leaders are still dealing with, trying to understand what the next steps would be and should be, we have renowned personalities from varied fields who have been left equally baffled. American rapper Cardi B took to social media to announce that it was a dumb move on Trump's part and the airstrike has only put American lives on danger. She even announced she would want to flee to Nigeria, given the current situation in the US.

RELATED TOPICS DONALD TRUMP CARDI B

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

John Oliver was bleeped out twice during his brief, 15-second Emmys acceptance speech on live television after he roasted host Nate Bargatze
Sep 15, 2025
Kevin Hart doesn't appreciate paparazzi’s question after viral video of him hosting Diddy’s party resurfaces
Apr 6, 2025
Diddy’s childhood friend Tim Patterson claims Janice Combs’s wild parties often involved pimps, homosexuals, and other adult activities
Apr 6, 2025
Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Jackson tied the knot in 1994, but she initially thought the King of Pop was a creep—and we totally get why
Apr 6, 2025
Riley Keough opens up about the Presley family curse in a candid interview while on tour for her book, 'From Here to the Great Unknown'
Apr 5, 2025
Natalie Morales hits back after her interview with Seth Meyers is removed from all platforms due to a revealing outfit
Apr 5, 2025
"Babyface, can you believe she wants me to dress like a girl?" Michael Jackson told a producer.
Apr 2, 2025
Sofia Vergara also dished out on why she doesn't ever want to play Modern Family's Gloria again
Apr 2, 2025
"It took more and more to get high, and I honestly don't know when your body decides it can't deal with it anymore," Lisa Marie Presley wrote.
Apr 1, 2025
A family member's last-minute intervention saved Michael Jackson from the 9/11 tragedy—here’s what happened
Apr 1, 2025