The White House has responded to SZA after the Grammy-winning singer condemned the highest office in the United States for using her song in a pro-ICE post on social media.
SZA, in a Wednesday post on X, described the White House’s actions as “evil” and “boring.” The 36-year-old singer’s comments came after the White House used Big Boy, a musical sketch she performed during a December 2022 appearance on Saturday Night Live, in a pro-ICE video posted on its official X account.
The video, which was posted on Tuesday, shows immigrants being arrested by ICE agents as Big Boy plays in the background. “We heard it’s cuffing szn,” the White House captioned, which is a reference to the song’s theme. “Bad news for criminal illegal aliens. Great news for America.”
The Big Boy song, however, does not promote what the White House was referring to in their post. “White House rage baiting artists for free promo is PEAK DARK ..inhumanity +shock and aw tactics ..Evil n Boring,” SZA quoted on a post that was shared by her manager Punch, who similarly condemned the White House’s actions.
“Trying to provoke artist to respond in order to help spread propaganda and political agendas is nasty business,” Punch wrote in his post. “Knock it off.”
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In a follow-up post, Punch also wrote that he hoped that “you guys don’t think I’m talking about rap or a rap battle…. I’m talking actual…. Nevermind. Smh”
Responding to SZA’s comments in a statement to Variety, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said, “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.”
SZA, whose real name is Solána Imani Rowe, isn’t the only singer to call out the White House for using their songs without permission. Fellow singer Sabrina Carpenter similarly condemned the Trump administration last week after they used her Juno hit song in a pro-ICE post on X.
“This video is evil and disgusting,” Carpenter, 26, wrote in response to the since-deleted post. “Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.”
