Though his music could best be categorized as country, Zach Bryan’s body of work is harder to pin down than that of, say, Morgan Wallen.
For example, a teaser clip of Bryan’s upcoming single finds the controversial singer-songwriter lashing out at ICE and overzealous police, something few of his country contemporaries would even consider.
“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,” Bryan sings on “Bad News.”
The teaser clip concludes with the line:
“Got some bad news, the fading of the red, white, and blue.”
Needless to say, it sounds like Zach isn’t thrilled about the current state of the nation.
And his commentary has drawn the ire of the Department of Homeland Security.
DHS official offers unsolicited career advice to Zach Bryan
Speaking to TMZ, DHS Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin offered some brief but significant career advice to Bryan:
“Stick to ‘Pink Skies,'” cautioned McLaughlin in a statement to the outlet.
McLaughlin is referring to Bryan’s poignant — and wholly apolitical — single from his Great American Bar Scene album.
Zach has yet to respond to the criticism, and he’ll probably continue to let his music do the talking for him.
After all, the song hasn’t even been released in its entirety. Zach probably doesn’t feel the need to powwow with the Trump administration just yet.
A proud tradition of protest
These days, a country singer criticizing the policies of a Republican president is the sort of thing that raises eyebrows.
But country music has traditionally been the genre of the downtrodden, and artists like Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, and Willie Nelson have recorded numerous songs criticizing those in power, regardless of their party affiliation.
Contemporary artists like Tyler Childers, Margot Price, and Sturgill Simpson have carried on the tradition, but their names aren’t often mentioned on mainstream country radio.
Though he’s scored quite a few commercial hits, Bryan has always regarded himself as a singer-songwriter of the old school, more concerned with authenticity than popularity.
And he certainly gained some credibility points by making a statement that he knew would be unpopular with many of his fans.