Country star Zach Bryan is pushing back after facing fierce criticism for his new anti-ICE song, “Bad News.”
The 29-year-old recording artist was criticized for the timing and message of the lyrics, as incidents of violence against Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have been increasing. In a new Instagram Story, he insisted that people are missing the “full context” of the song.
“I love this country,” Bryan wrote in a lengthy defense of the viral track.
“My friends are all degenerates, but they’re all I got/ the generational story of dropping the plot/ I heard the cops came, Cocky motherf****s, ain’t they?” the song lyrics say.
“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/The bar 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.”
Bryan tried to explain himself on social media.
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“This shows you how divisive a narrative can be when shoved down our throats through social media,” the country singer wrote. “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. Everyone using this now as a weapon is only proving how devastatingly divided we all are. We need to find our way back.”
“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***hole, just a 29-year-old man who is just as confused as everyone else,” the post went on.
“To see how much sh** it stirred up makes me not only embarrassed but kind of scared. 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.”
He added that he’s been “scrutinized” over the last few months more than ever. He reiterated that he is “SO proud to have served in a country where we can all speak freely and converse amongst each other without getting doxxed or accosted on the internet or worse.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem weighed in on Bryan’s new song, saying it made her feel “disappointed and disheartened.”
“I hope he understands how completely disrespectful that song is, not just to law enforcement but to this country,” Noem told conservative podcast host Benny Johnson on Tuesday. “To every single individual that has stood up and fought for our freedoms. He just compromised it all by putting out a product such as that, that attacks individuals who are just trying to make our streets safe.”
“Zach, I didn’t listen to your music. I’m happy about that today,” she added. “Today, that makes me very happy that I never once gave you a single penny to enrich your lifestyle. I am going to go out and probably download some Jason Aldean, John Rich, Kid Rock, and Jon Pardi songs.”