Streets of Minneapolis Single: 2026

Springsteen's Protest Response to Minneapolis

Written January 24, 2026 and released January 28, 2026, Bruce Springsteen’s “Streets of Minneapolis” was recorded January 27, 2026 at Stone Hill Studio, Colts Neck, New Jersey. The 4:36 folk rock/heartland rock/protest song was released in response to the killing of Renée Good and Alex Pretti during Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States.

"I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Stay free, Bruce Springsteen"

Springsteen wrote and recorded the song following the killing of protesters by ICE and other federal agents, publishing it online four days after Pretti's death.

The song was released on Springsteen's YouTube channel and social media, and through music streaming services. It became the number-one trending song in the United States on YouTube on the day of its release, amassing over 2.5 million views by the end of the day.

Background and composition

In January 2026, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security sent over 3,000 agents to the Twin Cities in the upper Midwest as an escalation of Operation Metro Surge, an immigration-enforcement action. Agents clashed with protesters, killing Renée Good on January 7 and Alex Pretti on January 24.

On January 17, 2026, while performing at the Light of Day Winterfest in Red Bank, New Jersey, Springsteen spoke out against the operation and dedicated his performance of the song "The Promised Land" to Renée Good. Springsteen wrote "Streets of Minneapolis" on January 24, following the killing of Alex Pretti, and recorded it on January 27, releasing it the following day. The song's title is a reference to "Streets of Philadelphia", the Academy Award-winning song Springsteen wrote for the 1993 film Philadelphia, an early film discussing the HIV/AIDS crisis.

National Public Radio:

described it as "a full-band rock and roll song, complete with an E Street Choir singalong. Springsteen's raw and raspy voice is full of indignation as he calls out 'King Trump' and his 'federal thugs', and promises to remember the events unfolding in the streets of Minneapolis this winter. The verses narrate the killings of Good and Pretti respectively, and underline how eyewitness videos of their deaths contradict government officials' statements".

The Minneapolis Star Tribune:

described it as being in the "folk tradition ... detailing an injustice like Bob Dylan's 'Hurricane' or 'The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll' ... [that] starts out with minimalist strum and tambourine for the first verse and then a full band kicks in. When the song builds to the chorus, the Boss is joined by female vocalists. There is a harmonica bridge before he rails about being deported on sight if your skin is black or brown." The lyrics characterize ICE agents as mercenaries for hire (a "private army"), and Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem's accounts of the killings as "dirty lies".

The Boston Globe:

noted the song's context alongside several other protest songs released that month, including Billy Bragg's "City of Heroes", the Dropkick Murphys' "Citizen I.C.E", and Lucinda Williams' "World's Gone Wrong"‚ which the Globe singled out as "stellar".

Production

Label: Columbia

Songwriter: Bruce Springsteen

Producers: Ron Aniello, Bruce Springsteen

Genre: Folk rock, heartland rock, protest song

Length: 4:36

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Video

The video version was released on January 29. Directed by Thom Zimny, it features scenes on the ground in Minneapolis and studio performance shots of Springsteen. Pamela Springsteen, his sister, is credited with production footage together with Zimny.

Defend Minnesota benefit concert

Tom Morello held a "Defend Minnesota" benefit concert on January 30, 2026, in Minneapolis, along with punk band Rise Against and surprise guest Bruce Springsteen who was revealed as the surprise guest on the day of the concert which was held at 10:30 a.m. with $25 tickets. Springsteen performed "Streets of Minneapolis" for the first time, along with his 1995 song "The Ghost of Tom Joad" for which he was joined by Morello. "Defend Minnesota" was described as "a concert of solidarity and resistance". Morello said and that 100 percent of proceeds would "go to the families of those murdered by ICE in Minneapolis, Renee Good and Alex Pretti".

Reaction

On January 28, Minnesota governor Tim Walz told reporter Jacob Soboroff that he was "pretty emotional" about the song, and compared it, stylistically, to "the Wrecking Ball Tour...'American Land'—[it] sounded like '41 Shots'.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement that "The Trump Administration is focused on encouraging state and local Democrats to work with federal law enforcement officers on removing dangerous criminal illegal aliens from their communities — not random songs with irrelevant opinions and inaccurate information."

Steve Bannon, a staunch supporter of Trump, spoke out against Springsteen's new song, saying that it could embolden the resistance: "The Bruce Springsteen. Bruce, he's been whining. He's such a blue-collar guy. He's put out a new song, The Streets of Minneapolis. Bruce is throwing in for the revolution. It's kind of catchy. Bruce is throwing down for the revolution. Going on offense, folks."

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