Country singer Zach Bryan denounced any assumptions about his political affiliation Tuesday after throwing MAGA conservatives into a meltdown over anti-ICE lyrics featured in a snippet of his upcoming song, claiming he’s “neither of these radical sides.” “And ICE is gonna come, bust down your door /Try to build a house no one builds no more /But I got a telephone /Kids are all scared and all alone,” Bryan sings in a clip captioned “the fading of red, white, and blue.”Zach Bryan responds after his controversial song triggered MAGA with anti-ICE lyrics.James Smith/Sam Snap via Getty ImagesThe short snippet garnered praise from some who said he was bringing back “outlaw country” music with lyrics referring to cops as “cocky motherfuckers,” but right-wingers who support President Donald Trump slammed it.Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, wrote on X that Bryan should “Stick to Pink Skies,” a reference to his 2024 hit.Her department took another dig at the artist by posting a video montage set to his hit song “Revival.”This was not the first time Bryan has found himself in opposition to MAGA rhetoric. He came out in full support for the transgender community in 2023 by condemning fellow country artist Travis Tritt, who at the time announced was removing all Anheuser-Busch products from his tour amid Bud Light’s collaboration with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney. “I just think insulting transgender people is completely wrong because we live in a country where we can all just be who we want to be. It’s a great day to be alive I thought,” Bryan wrote in a now-deleted Tweet cited by People.However, earlier this year Bryan shared a now-deleted photograph of him standing with the president and comedian Shane Gillis at the Super Bowl, country music magazine Holler reported.The Grammy-award winning artist told his followers Tuesday he was not trying to make a partisan political statement with the song, writing in a statement posted in his Instagram story that the controversy shows “how divisive a narrative can be when shoved down our throats through social media.”“This song is about how much I love this country and everyone in it more than anything,” Bryan wrote. “When you hear the rest of the song, you will understand the full context that hits on both sides of the aisle.”Zach Bryan's response to the backlash over his new song.Instagram: @zachlanebryanHe went on to say people using the snippet “as a weapon” proves “how devastatingly divided we all are.” He added that the full song is about “all of us coming out of this divided space.”“I wasn’t speaking as a politician or some greater-than-thou asshole, just a 29 year old man who is just as confused as everyone else,” Bryan said. “To see how much shit it stirred up makes me not only embarrassed but kind of scared.” Bryan clarified that he is “on neither of these radical sides” and tells those disappointed in him he’s trying his “best too and we all say things that are misconstrued sometimes.”In a follow-up post, Bryan said over the past few months he had “been scrutinized” by more people than he ever “thought possible.”Instagram: @zachlanebryan“I feel like I’ve tried my hardest in so many ways and it’s so hard to see where my bearings even are anymore,” Bryan wrote. “Been falling off a cliff while trying to grow wings at the same time.”He went on to say he is proud to serve in a country where its people “can all speak freely and converse amongst each other without getting doxxed or accosted on the internet or worse.”Close