American singer SZA has criticised the White House for using one of her songs in a promotional video supporting its anti-immigration raids.
Earlier this week, officials from the Trump administration shared a social media clip featuring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arresting immigrants. The video was soundtracked with “Big Boys,” a song performed by SZA during a Saturday Night Live sketch in December 2022. The song’s playful lyrics about “cuffing season” were reinterpreted in the post.
“We heard it’s cuffing szn. Bad news for criminal illegal aliens. Great news for America,” the White House captioned the video.
SZA reacted strongly, accusing officials of deliberately using popular artists’ music to provoke outrage and increase the visibility of their political messaging.
“White House rage baiting artists for free promo is PEAK DARK… inhumanity + shock and awe tactics… Evil n Boring,” she wrote on X.
Her manager, Punch, also condemned the move, calling it “nasty business” and urging officials to “knock it off.”
In response, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson thanked the singer for inadvertently amplifying the message, saying, “Thank you, SZA, for drawing even more attention to the tremendous work America’s ICE officers are doing by arresting dangerous criminal illegal aliens.”
SZA joins a growing list of artists objecting to the government’s use of their music in political content. Just recently, singer Sabrina Carpenter slammed officials for using her hit “Juno” in an ICE raid montage, calling the video “evil and disgusting” and rejecting any association with the administration’s immigration agenda.
