Add a fresh take on country to your playlists.

Zach Bryan has found a very consistent place in my playlists, which is funny because up until just a few weeks ago, I barely knew who he was. Boy, was I in for a treat. My rotation had gotten a bit stale, and I was looking for some new music to try. One of my buddies recommended Bryan, and not being the biggest country music fan I wasn’t sure. However, when I gave it a try I was very pleasantly surprised. His sound is very unique and easy to get acquainted with, while his songs still manage to have variety. 

His career started in 2019 with his first single “Heading South” where he debuted his signature sound. He also released his first album titled “DeAnn,” which included one of my personal favorites of his, “Condemned.” He continued his success in 2020 with his second hit single “Oklahoma City”. He again used his signature soft sound to tell a story about pity and running from your problems and past. 2020 was also the year of his second album, titled “Quiet, Heavy Dreams.” This album featured some personal favorites, such as “November Air” and “Birmingham.” 

In 2021 he released an album of live studio recordings including “Condemned.” He hit the ground running in 2022 with 9 hit singles including one of my favorites, titled “Starved.” It’s a perfect vibe for late night rides in the rain. In 2022, he did a live show in Red Rock, CU. He recorded the set he played and turned it into a fully live album of some of his best hits and cleverly titled it “All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster.” Bryan released another single in 2023 titled “Downs,” which featured Maggie Rogers. Toward the end of 2023, Bryan put out two albums, one titled simply “Zach Bryan” and another, shorter album called “Boys of Faith,” which has prominent collab features, such as Noah Kahan and Bon Iver. 

Bryan has not yet released anything in 2024 but given his past consistency I wouldn’t doubt something is on the way. You won’t get too many high-tempo, fast-paced songs with him, but if you need a slower vibe, outside of what you usually listen to, I highly recommend giving Bryan a listen. 

Article by Dylan Stevens