(Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
Yall, the White House had something to sayand we were not expecting that kind of response. After SZA called out the administration for using her song in a pro-ICE video and labeled the move evil, the moment took a sharp turn. Instead of ignoring the criticism or issuing a standard, buttoned-up statement, the presidential palace leaned all the way in.
The clip in question shows heavily armed ICE agents rounding up immigrants, paired with SZAs lyrics about cuffing season. The White Houses caption read: We heard its cuffing szn. Bad news for criminal illegal aliens. Great news for America. And while SZA was not a fan of the shout-out, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson responded with an almost chipper message, thanking the singer for bringing even more attention to the tremendous work Americas ICE officers are doing by arresting dangerous criminal illegal aliens from American communities.
In case it wasn’t clear, SZA is not here for it. The singer threw major shade at the Trump administration after her hit ‘Big Boy’ was used in a new ICE video showing agents in full military gear making arrests. On Wednesday, SZA addressed the clip as a clear attempt to rage bait artists for free promo, and she didnt hold back on X, calling the whole thing PEAK DARK.“
Shes not aloneother stars like Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, Jack White, and Bruce Springsteen have publicly dragged political campaigns for using their music without permission. In Carpenters case, the White House quietly removed a viral video after her backlash, only to drop a second one featuring her likeness. Now, SZAs name is front and center, proving that even Grammy-winning artists arent safe from being pulled into political messaging they didnt sign up for.
Of course, the comment section at the White Houses official X page immediately exploded. Fans were coming in hotsome straight-up confused by what they were seeing. Others wondered how history will look back and remember this moment. And, a few flat-out asking whos running the account and if weve officially stepped into a ‘Black Mirror’ episode.
