Zach Bryan releases song with scathing lyrics about ICE

Zach Bryan finally released his song “Bad News,” featuring scathing lyrics about law enforcement officers and ICE agents, days after a deadly shooting in Minneapolis. According to The explosionBryan previously made headlines in October 2025 when he teased a snippet of the song on his Instagram, including the lyrics: “My friends are all degenerates, but they’re all I got, the generational story of dropping the conspiracy. I heard the cops came, arrogant bastards, right?” He continued on the track: “And ICE is gonna bust in your door, try to build a house that no one builds anymore, but I got a phone, the kids are all scared and alone.” In the extended version of the song, Bryan laments the current state of America before calling for unity.

In the full three-minute version of the song, Bryan » adds: “My friends are all degenerates, they’re all I have / Every day on the news someone else is shot / I have bad news / The fading of red, white and blue.” Continuing, the singer reminds listeners that “this land is your land” and “this land [is] mine too.”

Bryan initially faced backlash over the lyrics of his new track. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem criticized the singer in a previous appearance, saying, “To every individual who has ever stood up and fought for our freedoms, he has compromised everything by releasing a product like this, which attacks individuals who are simply trying to make our streets safer.”

She continued, “So, Zach, I haven’t listened to your music. I’m glad I did today. Today it makes me very happy, that I never gave you a single cent to enrich your lifestyle if you truly believe what this song stands for,” before promoting singers like Jason Aldean and John Rich.

When Bryan first announced the release of his single, it was in the midst of widespread ICE raids across America. Today, the world is in an even worse state than before, as an ICE agent fatally shot a woman on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, while conducting an immigration operation in Minneapolis.

According to a report from The explosionthe woman, identified as Renee Good, was a U.S. citizen and was not the target of the operation. Despite this, reports and videos confirmed that Good was involved in an altercation with an ICE agent who opened fire after claiming Good tried to hit them with her car.

Minneapolis’ police chief had expressed concern about ICE’s presence in Minnesota a day before the shooting. “I’ve been concerned for weeks that, given that the issue is very emotive and, frankly, the way these things have been conducted, the biggest risk to me is that there will be unrest or there will be tragedy,” he said. “That someone could be seriously injured or killed because of what’s happening.”

The city’s mayor, Jacob Frey, demanded of ICE during his press conference: “Get out of Minneapolis.” »

A list celebrities reacted strongly to Good’s fatal shooting. “Barbie” star Simu Liu said he was “beyond appalled by the deadly actions of ICE agents” on X, while Amanda Seyfried reposted the viral clip of Mayor Frey rejecting ICE’s presence in the state.

Cynthia Nixon shared several statements on her Instagram Stories, including “Abolish ICE!!!” and calling for the arrest of “ALL ICE agents who blocked his medical care.”

Grammy Award-winning singer Billie Eilish also weighed in, posting official posts on her Instagram calling ICE a “federally funded and supported terrorist group.” Another shared post featured the names of 32 people who are believed to have died while in ICE custody in 2025.

In the summer of 2025, Eilish’s brother, Finneas, revealed that he was tear gassed during a “very peaceful protest” in downtown Los Angeles. “They are instigating this,” he added.