Country music superstar Zach Bryan released a new song that has sparked a lot of controversy online due to its anti-ICE sentiments contained within the lyrics, which is alienating a large portion of his fan base. Country music has always had a mix of political views from various artists over the years, but it has largely leaned to the right, though singers like Bryan seem content to change that.
The Grammy-winning artist, who formerly served in the U.S. Navy, has been heavily criticized by conservative fans for the song, which contains lyrics such as “I heard the cops came, cock motherf***ers, ain’t they. ICE is gonna come bust down your door.” When Bryan initially shared a clip of the song on his social media, it included a caption that said, “the fading of the red, white, and blue.”
On an X post about the song, conservative influencer Ryan Fournier wrote a comment saying, “There goes his audience.” Another user wrote, “Zach Bryan just Bud Lite’d himself,” a reference to the disastrous ad campaign Bud Light pushed with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney that led to a massive boycott that smashed their profits to bits.
Another person slammed the singer’s virtue signaling by calling out his hypocrisy, saying, “Sounds about right coming from a guy who cheated on his wife while she was serving in the military and then cheated on his girlfriend with a married woman. Stay classy, Zach Bryan.” Someone else said, “Maybe he and Garth Brooks can discuss together exactly how their careers ended.”
One user also brought up Garth Brooks, writing, “I guess he wants to be alienated like Garth Brooks
Go woke, go broke.” Bryan responded to the backlash he has received for the tune in a post on social media. “I served this country, I love this country and the song itself is about all of us coming out of this divided space. I wasn’t speaking as a politician or some greater-than-thou a******, just a 29-year-old man who is just as confused as everyone else.”
“To see how much s**t it stirred up makes me not only embarrassed but kind of scared,” he continued. Bryan was also criticized by Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin who put out a statement on social media that encouraged the singer to “Stick to ‘Pink Skies,’ dude.” Then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem also responded to the controversy concerning the song.
“Zach, I didn’t listen to your music. I’m happy about that today,” she went on to say, according to ABC News. “That makes me very happy that I never gave you a single penny to enrich your lifestyle.” She then added, “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.”
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“He just compromised it all by putting out a product such as that attacks individuals who are just trying to make our streets safe,” she told podcast host Benny Johnson. Bryan also stated in his Instagram post, “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.”
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video