Kathleen Hanna and Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz have released their first song together, and it’s a Justin Bieber cover. The punk rock pair recorded a cover of Bieber’s 2016 song “Let Me Love You”. It will appear on the Contra-ICE compilation album, ICE OUT. The benefit album features 47 tracks of unreleased songs, spoken word, and comedy.
This selection of tracks was curated by the non-profit organization Build Art Make Change (BAMC). The organization’s founder, Dali Colorado, released a statement about the powerful album.
“Contra-ICE is not only an album,” the statement began, per NME. “It is not only a collective, it is a cultural infrastructure built to support frontline organizations, amplify immigrant voices, and mobilize creatives who believe that love is not passive; it’s organized.”
A major theme of the compilation seems to be “love over fear,” which Colorado mentioned in the statement. The album also features tracks from Fred Armisen, Adrian Quesada, Tom Morello, Jello Biafra, and the Guantanamo School of Medicine, Tropa Magica, and more.
Kathleen Hanna and Ad-Rock’s Justin Bieber Cover Transforms Into a Sugary-Sweet Pop-Rock Jam
This cover of “Let Me Love You” takes Justin Bieber and puts him through a bubble-grunge machine. The result is Kathleen Hanna’s familiar vocal style transforming a thumping pop song into a twee-adjacent rock jam. It’s sweet, simple, and hits just right. But the transformative power of its production also adds a heartfelt note to lines like “Never let you go / Never let you down”.
Hanna and Ad-Rock’s Bieber cover was produced by longtime Beastie Boys collaborator Mario Caldato Jr. Additionally, it features contributions from Money Mark, Fredo Ortiz, and Frank Figueroa.
Notably, proceeds from the album will go directly to “frontline powerhouses,” as mentioned on the Bandcamp page. These include the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) and Unión del Barrio “to defend labor rights and protect community-built wealth.”
Physical album copies are available to pre-order on Bandcamp or SoundsGood. ICE OUT will release on October 2, 2026, as a digital album, double LP vinyl, and CD. More information about Build Art Make Change can be found on the organization’s website.
Photo by Rabbani and Solimene Photography/Getty Images
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