""I put as much thought as I could into, like, writing the songs,""
""And no thought into how I was going to put it out there.""
""Don't stop headin', headin' south / 'Cause they will understand the words that are pouring from your mouth,""
""Zach Bryan will have a strong career in country music if he so chooses.""
Zach Bryan emerged in 2019 as a Navy aviation ordnanceman from Oklahoma who recorded scruffy videos of himself singing fervent lyrics about nights that lasted forever and relationships that didn't. Social-media algorithms propelled early songs like "Heading South," whose refrain declared regional pride. Early commentary urged technical refinement but foresaw career potential. Over six years Bryan built a singular career without abandoning a no‑frills approach, ranking No. 8 on Spotify's 2025 most-popular musicians list and drawing record-setting crowds. Bryan generally sidesteps country radio, wears his country identity lightly, and favors a non‑twangy voice and spare arrangements.
Read at The New Yorker
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]