On Aug. 25, Zach Bryan released his highly anticipated fourth album. Bryan self-titled the album because he feels it truly represents him. The country-rock tracklist includes 16 never-before-heard songs with guest appearances from The War and Treaty, Sierra Ferrell, Kacey Musgraves and The Lumineers. The self-produced project is heartfelt, original and relatable to all who listen.
In an Instagram post on Aug. 24, Bryan said, “If people listen to it, I’ll be grateful, if people don’t, I’ll still be grateful because I got the chance in this life to be original when it mattered.” Without a doubt, people have listened, over and over again. The album is his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart and secures the fifth-largest debut streaming week for a country album. All 16 of the songs are currently charting “Top 20” on Apple Music charts in the United States.
‘I Remember Everything’ with Kacey Musgraves is currently the most popular song with 18,732,799 streams in the first week. I have no argument because this song is my favorite. The words are amazing and the harmonizing between Bryan and Musgraves is simply unbelievable. Coming in second is ‘Hey Driver’ featuring The War and Treaty with 11,575,711 streams. I, again, agree with this one because the beginning is astounding. This song stood out to me the most from the demos he released in June on Instagram because of the pure talent in the vocals. A close third is ‘Spotless’ featuring The Lumineers with 11,006,127 streams. I instantly knew this song would be great because a collaboration between these two artists is impossible to go wrong with, and they didn’t disappoint.
‘Jake’s Piano – Long Island’ is a lower ranked song that I think deserves more recognition. It starts off slow, but midway through picks it up and changes its beat. The song is the definition of heartbreak, and you can feel his pain through the words. The only complaint I have is that the song simply could’ve been two songs and therefore more people would appreciate it. Second to the bottom on streams is ‘Tradesman’ which I honestly can’t believe. I love this song and I feel like its a very significant part of the album. It is reflective and talks about a life that Bryan wouldn’t mind living.
On Aug. 28, Bryan announced that he was going on tour again. Registration for The Quittin Time Tour has already opened and pre-sales will start on Sept. 6 and go through Sept. 7, and public sale starts Sept. 8. The first show is March 6-7 2024 in Chicago, IL. Fans are a little concerned over the title of the tour, but nevertheless, tickets will instantly be sold out. Bryan has been touring the country all summer performing at festivals and venues. He’s currently on a break gearing up for the 2024 tour.
I had been counting down the days until the album came out, and I wasn’t disappointed one bit. Each song is incredible and tells a story. Bryan has been gaining popularity these past few years with his unique voice and songwriting, and I am eager to see where his journey continues. Zach Bryan is an album that leaves long lasting impressions far past when the song ends.
Rating: 10/10
