SZA publicly criticized the White House for using her song in a social media post supporting ICE, calling it a “boring” and “evil” move. She responded on X (formerly Twitter) after the White House shared a video featuring her song “Big Boy” – originally from a December 2022 Saturday Night Live sketch – to highlight ICE’s activities.
SZA criticized the White House on X, calling their practice of provoking artists for free publicity “PEAK DARK…inhumanity and shock tactics.” She added that she found the strategy both “evil” and “boring.”
The post, which sparked outrage, depicted ICE agents detaining immigrants. It included a caption referencing the popular dating term ‘cuffing season,’ and stated that it was ‘bad news for criminal illegal aliens’ but ‘great news for America.’
WE HEARD IT’S CUFFING SZN. ⛓️
Bad news for criminal illegal aliens. Great news for America.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 9, 2025
SZA’s manager, Punch, spoke out about the issue, stating that attempting to get artists to react publicly to push certain beliefs or political viewpoints is a harmful tactic and should stop.
Artists have raised concerns about the White House using their music without permission before. Just recently, Sabrina Carpenter protested when the Trump administration included her song “Juno” in a video showing ICE raids.
Okay, so this musician really went off on social media, calling a video ‘evil and disgusting’ and saying she wanted nothing to do with whatever agenda it was promoting. It was pretty strong language! Then, things got weird. The White House actually reposted the video, but they edited the audio. It’s just… a strange situation, and it’s all over the internet. As a movie buff, I appreciate editing, but this feels different – and a little shady.
Increasingly, musicians are objecting to having their songs used in political campaigns, stating that their music shouldn’t be associated with political views they disagree with.
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2025-12-11 16:44