Now, singer-songwriter Zack Bryan has pulled one of the biggest surprises yet. His banishment from performing in Kansas City for life after a politically charged tweet went viral. Regardless, the situation flared up after Bryan defended his decision to compare Taylor Swift to Ye, aka Kanye West. It was his tweet—eagles > chiefs / Kanye > Taylor—that set off a firestorm. That one statement sent Kansas City Chiefs fans into a frenzy and set off a stream of vitriolic social media exchanges on all sides.
In September 2024, after receiving a barrage of criticism for his comments, Bryan deactivated his social media account. One user replied to his original tweet by saying, “3 Super Bowl wins 5 years,” a testament to the Chiefs’ high-level play of late. This conflict isn’t the first for Bryan; he has a long history of brewing controversy over issues like inclusion and diversity on social media.
Bryan then released his concerns via Instagram after the fact. He explained that his comment was only intended as a music comparison, not a shot at Swift. “I love Taylor’s music and pray you guys know I’m human and tweet stupid things often,” he wrote, attempting to mend relations with fans. However, he issued a strong warning: “Please understand I will never play in Kansas City.”
Even with the fallout, Bryan sounded wistful about Bonner Springs, Kansas, telling the audience, “I miss you Bonner Springs.” He teased some not-to-miss performances scheduled later this week. In his call with TPR, he suggested he could end up playing next season in a community near Kansas City. His playful demeanor resurfaced as he quipped, “Bro all u have to do to piss off a chiefs fan is play a fair game of football,” further igniting the rivalry between Eagles and Chiefs fans.
Not everyone agreed with Bryan’s remarks. As you can imagine, some fans loved the banter, while others expressed disappointment over his choice not to play in their city. His playful approach included a light-hearted jab at the Chiefs fanbase with the comment, “Guys it’s okay to talk trash to each other about football y’all are weird as hell.”
As Bryan prepares for his upcoming performance at the 2025 Stagecoach Festival on April 25 in Indio, California, fans await further developments regarding his touring plans and relationship with Kansas City.
“Where are all the three peat people from last year” – Zach Bryan
