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SZA is the latest chart-topper to publicly condemn Donald Trump's administration after her music was used in a new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) video.
The 34-year-old singer erupted on X Wednesday after the White House posted a clip set to her track Big Boys, featuring ICE officers in military-style gear carrying out arrests.
The caption, 'WE HEARD IT'S CUFFING SZN. Bad news for criminal illegal aliens. Great news for America,' immediately sparked backlash.
SZA, who claimed the move was deliberately engineered to bait artists into reacting, swiftly denounced both the message and the appropriation of her work.
'White House rage baiting artists for free promo is PEAK DARK ..inhumanity + shock and aw tactics … Evil n Boring,' she wrote, calling the administration's strategy 'rage baiting artists' for engagement.
Her criticism comes at a moment of escalating tension between musicians and the administration, which has repeatedly used popular songs without approval - prompting high-profile rebukes from artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, Céline Dion and Bruce Springsteen.
SZA is the latest chart-topper to publicly condemn Donald Trump's administration after her music was used in a new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) video; seen in 2024
Rather than addressing SZA's concerns, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson directly replied to her viral post, using the moment to amplify ICE operations.
'Thank you, SZA, for drawing even more attention to the tremendous work America's ICE officers are doing by arresting dangerous criminal illegal aliens from American communities,' Jackson said, according to Deadline.
Big Boys was originally recorded for a 2022 Saturday Night Live digital short and became a fan-favorite during her guest appearance.
Its unexpected repurposing mirrors a similar controversy involving Carpenter, whose likeness and SNL footage were used days earlier in another ICE-themed video.
The December 5 clip altered Carpenter's original dialogue with Marcello Hernández - replacing the word 'hot' with 'illegal' - before cutting to a montage of ICE officers apprehending people.
In response, the 26-year-old star declared the 'video is evil and disgusting.'
'Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda,' she fired back.
These clashes arrive as internal ICE statistics show a staggering 2,000 percent spike since January in detained immigrants without criminal records, the highest totals since 2003 in the post-9/11 era.
The 34-year-old singer erupted on X Wednesday after the White House posted a clip set to her track Big Boys, featuring ICE officers in military-style gear carrying out arrests
SZA, who claimed the move was deliberately engineered to bait artists into reacting, swiftly denounced both the message and the appropriation of her work
Rodrigo also recently slammed the administration after her song All-American B**** was used in a government-produced Instagram post urging undocumented immigrants to 'self-deport' using a CBP app - or face enforcement.
'Don't ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda,' Rodrigo wrote.
Rather than backing down, the Department of Homeland Security told TMZ: 'America is grateful all the time for our federal law enforcement officers who keep us safe. We suggest Ms Rodrigo thank them for their service, not belittle their sacrifice.'
The White House has also leaned into trolling.
Her criticism comes at a moment of escalating tension between musicians and the administration, which has repeatedly used popular songs without approval - prompting high-profile rebukes from artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter Céline Dion and Bruce Springsteen
In November, it spoofed Taylor Swift's The Fate of Ophelia as The Fate of America, despite Trump's repeated criticism of Swift and her history of endorsing Democratic candidates.
Kenny Loggins is among the musicians who have taken similar issue in recent weeks. The 77-year-old blasted Trump for using his 1986 hit Danger Zone in an AI video posted to Truth Social showing the former president as a crowned fighter pilot dumping liquid onto protesters.
'This is an unauthorized use of my performance of 'Danger Zone.' Nobody asked me for my permission, which I would have denied,' Loggins said.
As for SZA, her public condemnation signals that the administration's current tactic of pairing pop-culture clips with hardline immigration messaging is only intensifying the rift between Trump's team and a growing list of artists who say their work is being weaponized for political gain.
