By Audrey Elwood, Campus News Editor
Zach Bryan has found himself in hot water with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after coming out with new song lyrics about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The U.S. Navy veteran from Oklahoma has made a name for himself in the country music scene over the last few years. With hits like “Something in the Orange” and “I Remember Everything,” he is the second highest streamed country singer in the world and is often praised for his gritty sound and vulnerable lyrics.
Bryan released a soundbite of a new song titled “Bad News,” which has been interpreted as anti-ICE.
“And ICE is gonna come bust down your door/ Try to build a house no one builds no more/ But I got a telephone/ Kids are all scared and all alone,” Bryan wrote, referencing the uptick severity and frequency of ICE raids in the current administration. “The bars stopped bumping, the rock stopped rolling/ The middlе fingers rising, and it won’t stop showing/Got some bad news/ Thе fading of the red, white and blue.”
Bryan has previously shied away from adding political messaging to his music. However, he has posted a variety of political statements, such as “the more a person includes politics into their life anywhere besides a ballot the more I figure they don’t have anything more interesting to do or say” in June 2024 on X. He has also tweeted that Joe Biden was “not a homie” in 2022 on X, and said “I don’t support Trump or Biden” in 2024 on X.
In response to the song, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin tweeted, “Stick to Pink Skies, dude,” referencing Bryan’s 2024 hit.
“I hope Zach Bryan understands how completely disrespectful that song is, not just to law enforcement but to this country, to every single individual that has stood up and fought for our freedoms,” head of DHS Kristi Noem told podcast host Benny Johnson. “He just compromised it all by putting out a product such as that attacks individuals who are just trying to make our streets safe.”
After the controversy struck, the DHS posted a video of ICE raids and deportations to Zach Bryan’s “Revival.” It is unknown if the DHS got licensing for the song.
Bryan, who served in the Navy, is referencing current political events in his newest song lyrics.
“I feel like that’s such a gut punch, I mean ‘Revival’ is the song Zach ends all of his concerts with,” junior math and economics major Andrew Schmidt said. “‘Revival’ is a happy and uplifting song, and obviously deportations are not happy or uplifting. It’s such a shame the government tried to spin it into something it’s not.”
Zach Bryan posted a response to the backlash on his Instagram.
“This song is about how much I love this country and everyone in it more than anything. When you hear the rest of the song, you will understand the full context that hits on both sides of the aisle,” he posted. “Everyone using this now as a weapon is only proving how devastatingly divided we all are. We need to find our way back.”
Bryan has not put out a release date for the track and has silenced comments on the post. He has released a new snippet of a song called “Sundown Girls” and on Friday posted on his story “I got rickrolled by the U.S. government this week.”
“Left wing or right wing we’re all one bird and American. To be clear I’m on neither of these radical sides. To all those disappointed in me on either side of whatever you believe in just know I’m trying my best too and we all say things that are misconstrued sometimes,” Bryan posted on Instagram.