Canadian musician Bryan Adams has faced backlash for his newly released song "Lake Ontario," which includes lyrics critical of President Donald Trump. The song, released on Wednesday, appears to be a response to Trump's August executive order that renamed the body of water "Lake America."
The lyrics do not explicitly name the president but refer to "one dude" who allegedly renames the lake, initiates conflict in Iran, and mentions the Epstein files. One verse states, "But things weren’t going his way in Iran. So like a baby tossing the toys from the pram. He may have thought it best to throw a low blow. And create a real dog and pony show. But it feels like another distraction. While the Epstein files were getting traction."
The song also touches on the idea of disrupting the peace around the lake, which straddles the U.S. and Canadian border. A music video accompanying the lyrics was released on Wednesday, showing Adams near the lake's waters.
Following the song's release, social media users criticized Adams for engaging in political commentary. Comments included sentiments such as "Adam's just lost fans. Just sing and stop talking politics," and "This guy hasn't been relevant since the Summer of 69." Some users suggested the singer should focus on music rather than politics, with one stating, "Well there goes another artist I'll never listen to again. They should just play music and shut the f*** up."
President Trump had previously announced his intention to rename Lake Ontario to "Lake America" during a trade dispute with Canada. In a video posted on August 26, he declared, "We're gonna make a little change, we're gonna call it something different than Lake Ontario. We're gonna call it Lake America. And all it takes is a good pen and some intelligence." He demonstrated the proposal by altering a map with a marker.
The renaming initiative has been met with resistance, with Canadians continuing to use the original name for the lake. The move also reportedly proved unpopular with a segment of both American liberals and conservatives. Some critics have accused Trump of using the renaming as a distraction from the ongoing conflict in Iran, which some polls suggest could impact Republican midterm election results.
This is not the first time the Trump administration has pursued geographical name changes. Earlier in his term, federal agencies were directed to use "Gulf of America" instead of "Gulf of Mexico." Trump stated at the time, "Which has a beautiful ring. That covers a lot of territory. The Gulf of America, what a beautiful name. And it's appropriate. It's appropriate."
While the U.S. government can dictate terminology for its own agencies, it does not have the authority to compel foreign governments to adopt its preferred geographical names.