SZA has sharply criticized the White House after one of her songs was used in a social media post promoting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity. The Grammy-winning artist said the move was a deliberate attempt to provoke outrage and attention from musicians. Her comments have ignited fresh debate about the use of popular music in political messaging.
According to Consequence, the controversy began when the White House shared video on its official X account set to SZA’s Saturday Night Live track “Big Boys,” a song from her 2022 SNL appearance that went viral for its catchy take on “cuffing season.” In the post, the administration paired the soundbite with footage of ICE agents making arrests, captioning it with the lyric “WE HEARD IT’S CUFFING SZN” and a message celebrating enforcement actions.
SZA responded on social media, accusing the White House of “rage baiting artists for free promo” and calling the tactic “peak dark” and “evil n boring.” She argued that the administration’s repurposing of her work was not merely unauthorized but a calculated effort to stir up controversy and amplify its message at artists’ expense.
Her former manager, Terrence “Punch” Henderson, also weighed in, suggesting the move was a manipulative attempt to generate engagement and inadvertently spread political propaganda.
SZA’s criticism comes amid a broader pattern of musicians pushing back against the use of their music in government posts, following similar objections from artists who have objected to their songs being paired with ICE and deportation-related content.
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