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Final verdict: 8/10 ★★★★☆
A man of famously many names, Zachary Chacon is back with yet another banger under yet another name (this time his own!). “Protest Song” isn’t his latest release – far from it, actually, for he is quite prolific and has put out a string of singles since “Protest Song” hit the scene – but it is one that still aligns with the political climate several months later. As one can infer from its title, this is a song about protests – more specifically, the immigration-related protests that were ongoing in the United States of America in June 2025 (when the track was first released) and that are unfortunately still ongoing as we speak. Without delving into political commentary, I have to say that the current American administration truly is a marvel – a statement which is not to be taken as a compliment. Get it together, America! And to all the protesters; keep doing your best and stay safe out there!
But I digress – while Chacon’s previous works as Hollywood Video Game Kill-Bot and Cabbage Patch Kill Dolls have been much experimental, “Protest Song” is none of that – what I would describe it as is “chill synth,” virtuous run-of-the-mill. It is pretty straight-forward in its ways; ethereal keys crowd an otherwise minimalist arrangement while a steady, slow-paced hip hop-styled drum beat keeps ground. There’s a lovely clean guitar sample that appears in increments and adds some much-appreciated funk, and the percussion-heavy interlude provides a nice change-up in the midst of the song. Chacon fashions his vision economically here, not wasting any words; he repeatedly proclaims the song’s thesis with a chant against police brutality (an event prevalent in immigration-related protests…). As far as atmosphere goes, it really is kind of trippy – it sounds like a liminal space (see airport) feels. That is not something I often say, not even of music that wears psychedelia on its sleeve. The sparseness of the recording gives it an out-of-plane feel, and the equally sparse spoken-word action serves to promote said feel.
But I would wager it works. Though the track is quite bare-bones, its political message most certainly packs a punch, and its sterile, almost dystopian soundscape only helps back up the notion of speaking up in the face of what seems to be surreal events. It’s a little uncanny valley, but so is the world at the moment, so I would say I quite dig it. 8/10.
Silia 
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