Brad Paisley’s Ukraine Song ‘Same Here’ Was Attacked Online. He Cites Russian Bots
Brad Paisley says a Russian bot campaign turned online reactions to his 2023 Ukraine solidarity song “Same Here” from mostly positive to mostly negative. His account highlights how coordinated, convincing social media activity can make public opinion appear to shift, and how support for Ukraine became a target for criticism.
Paisley said his team initially tracked 98 per cent positive responses, before the share of negative reactions rose to 90 per cent. The song, co-written with Lee Thomas Miller and Taylor Goldsmith, includes audio from a 45-minute Zoom conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Paisley later visited Kyiv with US senators, performed the song and became an ambassador for the United24 charity.
In short
- Paisley attributes online criticism of “Same Here” to Russian bots.
- He says responses shifted from 98% positive to 90% negative.
- The song features audio from a conversation with Zelensky.
Explained simply
Brad Paisley is an American country singer whose song “Same Here”, released in 2023, expressed solidarity with Ukrainians after Russia’s full-scale invasion. It includes audio from a conversation with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and Paisley later visited Kyiv and supported the Ukrainian charity United24.
The song also became a focus of online criticism. Paisley has linked the change in reactions to Russian bots: automated or coordinated accounts that can post messages and make a viewpoint seem more widespread than it is. Such activity matters because social media reactions can shape what people think the public believes about support for Ukraine.
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