It is no secret that the writing and sound of today’s country music is completely different from songs just a few years ago. If you turn on any country radio station, you will notice that nearly every tune has some hip-hop and rock components to it.
The duo of Florida Georgia Line is known for popularizing the style of “Bro-Country,” which focuses on themes like partying, driving pickup trucks and relationships with attractive people. The song that really skyrocketed this genre was their song “Cruise” from 2012. Many noticed the success of Florida Georgia Line and decided to follow a similar style.
Country music has been stuck in this new era for quite some time, but now a new artist is challenging the industry standard. Zach Top has been climbing the charts with songs that sound like they are coming out of the 90s. His neotraditional country approach resembles artists such as Alan Jackson or George Strait, rather than the modern genre.
Top started to rise to fame after his debut album, “Cold Beer & Country Music” in 2024. His most popular song, “I Never Lie” has been ascending in the Billboard Hot 100 ever since.
It is truly amazing to finally see someone bringing back the feeling of classic country. There isn’t another well known artist that is doing anything similar. Top took a massive risk in going against the norm but it is paying off so far.
He recently had his “I made it” moment as he performed in front of 70,000 people in NRG Stadium for RODEOHOUSTON. Just a few years ago, Top moved to Nashville in hope of starting his country music career. He used to struggle to sell 100 tickets, but now he is becoming the hottest name in the business.
Many have discovered Top recently and have fallen in love with the 12-song album. Some of his more popular tracks include, “Use Me,” “Bad Luck” and “Sounds Like the Radio.” They are great to listen to when driving, doing homework in the Learning Commons or writing Wood Word articles. People tend to have a deep connection with his work because there hasn’t been anything like this in years.
As mentioned before, the “Bro-Country” style has been dominating and been shoved down listeners’ throats. Now that a new kid shows up on the block, everybody has a new hero to look up to.
Top has a bright future ahead of him as he will join Dierks Bentley on his “Broken Branches Tour.” In addition, Top has hinted at releasing his sophomore album this summer. We all can “sleep like a baby” knowing Zach Top is going to save the current state of country music.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
