Country music heavyweight Zach Bryan has landed in the crosshairs of the Department of Homeland Security after previewing a new song that references ICE immigration raids, reports the Guardian. A snippet that Bryan posted online includes pointed lyrics about law enforcement and children left frightened by raids, leading DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin to bluntly respond, "Stick to Pink Skies, dude" (a reference to another Bryan tune). The DHS then piled on via X, overlaying one of Bryan's old songs, "Revival," atop footage of ICE agents, posting, "We're having an All Night Revival."
Bryan's unreleased track—possibly titled "The Fading of the Red White and Blue," based on the Instagram caption—also laments the current state of American division, with one line noting "middle fingers rising." The 29-year-old, who served eight years in the Navy, clarified on Instagram that the song's message is about loving the country and its people, not taking sides. "Everyone using this now as a weapon is only proving how devastatingly divided we all are," he wrote in a follow-up Instagram story, emphasizing his refusal to align with "radical sides."
The MAGA contingent isn't happy about Bryan's post, with DHS chief Kristi Noem slamming the song as "disrespectful." The Daily Beast notes that Bryan responded Tuesday to the backlash with a "cryptic" message on his socials—specifically, a post showing "Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front," a 1973 poem by Wendell Berry that urges people to "love someone who does not deserve it" and to "denounce the government and embrace the flag."
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Despite the backlash, Bryan's star continues to rise. The Oklahoma native, who self-released his debut in 2019 and hit No. 1 with his 2023 self-titled album, recently set the attendance record for a ticketed US concert, drawing more than 112,000 fans and moving $5 million in merch.
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