Country Music
Zach Bryan Responds to ICE Lyric Backlash: “I Love This Country More Than Anything”
Country music sensation Zach Bryan is defending his latest song “Bad News” after a snippet featuring lyrics about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sparked a nationwide debate. The Grammy-winning artist and U.S. Navy veteran took to Instagram on Tuesday to clarify that the track — far from being anti-American — was written to highlight unity in a deeply divided nation.
“I served this country. I love this country,” Zach Bryan wrote to his nearly five million followers. “The song 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.”
The controversy erupted over the weekend when Bryan shared a short clip from “Bad News” on social media. In it, he sings: “ICE is gonna come bust down your door / Try and build a house no one builds no more / But I got a telephone / Kids are all scared and all alone.”
The lyrics quickly went viral, drawing sharp criticism from conservative circles and even from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, who called the song “disrespectful to law enforcement and this country.” During an appearance on The Benny Johnson Show, Noem said, “Zach Bryan just compromised it all by putting out a product that attacks individuals who are trying to make our streets safe.”
DHS officials appeared to double down on the criticism by releasing an Instagram video showing ICE agents in action — set, ironically, to Zach Bryan’s 2020 hit “Revival.” The department has not clarified whether the use of the song was licensed.
Zach Bryan Responds
Zach Bryan, however, maintains that “Bad News” has been misinterpreted. “When you hear the rest of the song, you will understand the full context that hits on both sides of the aisle,” he said. “Everyone using this now as a weapon is only proving how devastatingly divided we all are.”
The country star, who built his career on authenticity and emotional storytelling, admitted that the intensity of the backlash has left him “embarrassed” and “kind of scared.” Still, he urged fans not to see the issue through a partisan lens. “Left wing or right wing, we’re all one bird and American,” he wrote.
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Zach Bryan’s supporters have rallied behind him online, praising his commitment to honest songwriting and freedom of expression. Many fans pointed out that his lyrics have long explored themes of working-class struggle, patriotism, and reconciliation — not politics.
As anticipation builds for the official release of “Bad News”, Bryan says he hopes listeners will give the full song a chance before passing judgment. “This song is about how much I love this country and everyone in it more than anything,” he said. “We need to find our way back.”
