Article Contributed by Gratefulweb
Published on January 30, 2026
Photo: Courtesy of Jim Walsh
January 2026 — Billy Bragg has released a powerful new song, “City of Heroes,” written Sunday, January 25, then recorded and posted within 24 hours. The track is now available on Spotify and all major streaming platforms.
Prompted by the murder of Alex Pretti and coming on the heels of the tragic killing of Renee Good, Bragg was compelled to respond in real time. The song addresses the shock of witnessing acts of violence carried out in broad daylight, on camera, with little accountability, and the moral urgency such moments demand.
Rather than focusing solely on the perpetrators of violence, “City of Heroes” centers on the bravery of the people of Minneapolis—ordinary citizens who continue to stand up for their neighbors despite the presence of heavily armed ICE agents operating with seeming impunity.
“The murder of Alex Pretti was horrifically shocking,” says Bragg. “All the more so as we are still reeling from the images of the murder of Renee Good. That these crimes can be committed in broad daylight, on camera, and yet no one is held accountable only adds to the injustice.”
“I wrote this song as a tribute to the bravery of the people of Minneapolis. Knowing that these trigger-happy ICE thugs operate in their midst, they are still willing to put themselves in harm’s way to defend their community. Their resistance is an inspiration to us all.”
Lyrically, “City of Heroes” draws a direct line between the warnings of German pastor Martin Niemöller—famously memorialized for his silence during the rise of fascism—and the present moment. Bragg reclaims Niemöller’s lesson not as historical abstraction, but as a call to action: to speak up, to show up, and to refuse complicity.
“City of Heroes” was engineered, recorded, and mixed by Jamie Parker at Echo Town Studio in Dorset on January 26, 2026.
Words and Music by Billy Bragg.
Available now on Spotify and all major streaming services.
About Billy Bragg:
Billy Bragg has been a fearless recording artist, tireless live performer, and peerless political campaigner for 40+ years. He has released 11 solo studio albums, three albums with Wilco, and one album with Joe Henry. He released a mini album Bridges Not Walls in 2017. His performances at the BBC were anthologised in The Best of Billy Bragg At The BBC 1983-2019 (2019).
Billy Bragg added best-selling author/musicologist to his CV with the success of his acclaimed 2017 book Roots, Radicals & Rockers – How Skiffle Changed The World. He has written two books of political analysis – The Progressive Patriot: A Search For Belonging (2006) and The Three Dimensions of Freedom (2019). In 2023 Billy released an acclaimed career-spanning box set of his work entitled ‘The Roaring Forty’.
