Country Music
Zach Bryan’s Anti-ICE Anthem ‘The Fading of the Red, White and Blue’ Divides Country Fans
Country singer Zach Bryan, best known for heartfelt Americana hits like “I Remember Everything”, is facing fierce backlash from MAGA supporters after teasing a new politically charged song that takes aim at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The 29-year-old Grammy winner shared a short snippet of the track, titled “The Fading of the Red, White and Blue”, on Instagram over the weekend. In the teaser, Bryan delivers strikingly direct lyrics criticizing both ICE agents and police officers, sparking outrage across conservative circles online.
“I heard the cops came, cocky motherf***ers ain’t they?
And ICE is gonna come bust down your door,
Try to build a house, no bills no more,
Kids are all scared and all alone,”
Bryan sings, before lamenting,
“The Boss stopped bumping, the rock stopped rolling,
The middle fingers rising and it won’t stop showing,
Got some bad news — the fading of the red, white and blue.”
The song immediately went viral, drawing both praise and condemnation. Supporters applauded Bryan for his “moral courage” and willingness to confront hard truths, while MAGA-aligned fans accused him of betraying his base.
MAGA Turns on Country’s Rising Star
Online backlash was swift and heated. One X user wrote, “No-name country artist Zach Bryan slams ICE for deporting criminal illegal immigrants. He has no talent!” Another fumed, “Looks like someone doesn’t want a career in country music anymore. Y’all know what to do.”
Others commented directly on Bryan’s Instagram, warning that he had “alienated half his audience.” One angry fan posted, “As a vet, this song bothers me to my core.”
Still, not everyone was upset. Some users thanked Bryan for “using [his] voice and being on the right side of history,” while others compared his stance to Bruce Springsteen’s protest anthems. “Calling out ICE as a country artist is actually huge,” one user wrote.
Eddie Vedder Honours Bruce Springsteen With Stirring Tribute After Trump’s Verbal Assault
From Springsteen Influence to Political Firestorm
Zach Bryan, a former U.S. Navy serviceman, has rarely dipped into politics. However his latest lyrics appear to be inspired by Bruce Springsteen, with whom Zach Bryan collaborated on Springsteen’s 2024 album, The Great American Bar Scene.
Bruce Springsteen, long known for his working-class activism, has openly criticized Trump’s immigration policies, and his influence is evident in Bryan’s new song — a blend of patriotism and disillusionment.
Zach Bryan with Bruce Springsteen
Bryan has described himself as libertarian, though he has previously voiced support for the transgender community and criticized police misconduct. In 2023, he was briefly arrested in Oklahoma for arguing with a highway patrol officer — an incident he later admitted was his own fault.
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Country Music’s Culture War Continues
With Trump’s second term seeing an escalation of ICE raids and mass deportations, “The Fading of the Red, White and Blue” lands squarely in the middle of America’s cultural and political divide.
Whether it hurts or helps Bryan’s career remains to be seen — but his willingness to speak out, even at the risk of alienating fans, has cemented him as one of country music’s most daring modern voices.
