Zach Bryan catapults to Billboard pop, mega-tour headlining superstardom

Via his self-titled latest release, Zach Bryan's less than half-decade rise from Navy veteran and top-10 selling indie folk artist to country music's latest mainstream star is complete.

The week following Labor Day, the Oologah, Oklahoma, native's single "I Remember Everything," featuring Kacey Musgraves, could achieve all-genre Hot 100 chart-topping status.

Four of America's top-five pop songs could be by country artists. Include Taylor Swift's early years in the format in the mix and it would be a clean sweep for three chords and the truth.

It's another unprecedented 2023 country music moment.

However, there's something different in Bryan's approach compared to fellow potential top-five Billboard Hot 100 charting country artists Oliver Anthony, Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen.

Bryan's success is profound for himself. However, what it yields insofar as pop's surge into Americana, country, and folk music means a likely dissolution of the firm lines between America's foundational roots musical genres has arrived.

Zach Bryan and his influences emerge and excel

Bryan's album features existing fan favorite track "Overtime" and the album-closing anthem "Oklahoma Son."

A recent press statement defines his current, sold out and record-setting "Burn, Burn, Burn" tour as benefitting from his "litany of varied musical and literary influences" that, when combined with heartfelt "raw and unfiltered stories," have keyed the growing of a hyper-engaged fanbase.

His new album offers his fanbase a direct connection to two decades of music that has, since his childhood, inspired his life and sustained his existence.

For example, "Spotless" is a duet with Lumineers frontman Wesley Schultz. It's featured alongside the potential chart-topping Musgraves duet; current Americana Music Association Artist of the Year nominee Sierra Ferrell's feature on "Holy Roller;" and Americana Music Association and Folk Alliance award-winning and Academy of Country Music award-nominated duo the War and Treaty on "Hey Driver."

It's a stunning compilation of diverse and peerless creativity.

The album's debut week saw all 16 of the its tracks achieve top-20 all-genre status on iTunes' sales charts.

Notably, Musgraves will achieve her first Hot 100 all-genre No. 1 single, following top-10 country chart success for her 2013 breakout "Follow Your Arrow" and Adult Alternative Airplay success for her "Star Crossed" album single "Justified."

As well, Bryan's now 15-month-old debut major-label album — the 34-track, quadruple-platinum-equivalent selling "American Heartbreak" — now contains, after almost 18 months, the longest Billboard Hot 100 charting country single of all-time for a male artist, "Something in the Orange." The song has succeeded like Carrie Underwood's 2007 classic "Before He Cheats" and Leann Rimes' hit from a decade prior "How Do I Live?"

Bryan offers thoughts on his inspirations

A week ago, Bryan posted the following to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, about his new release:

"I've got no grand explanation for these songs, I got no riddle in the reasoning behind writing them, I don't have a ... roll-out plan to stuff it in front of as many people as I can," Bryan said.

"I just wrote some poems and songs I want to share because I think they're special. Some are heavy, some are hopeful, but more than anything, what's most important to me is that they're all mine. 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."

He completed by noting that he "wrote and produced an album that (he) would want to listen to."

"I self-titled it because I hear every cell of my being in it," he added.

"Some of it's slow and low, some of it's reckless, some of it's loud, some of it's quiet, but it's all me at twenty-seven. I put everything I could in it and am at a loss for words at what a blessing this life is."

Redefining the lines between Americana, folk and country

Before Monday, there was significant wonder about how Bryan could make the leap between Americana, country and folk — the three genres are similar. However, in Nashville's mainstream base for all three, marketing, genres and commercialism are blended to the point of silos separating the sounds.

Impressively, though — after he closes this year as a headliner at Pilgrimage Festival — the Oklahoma native has rolled out a 54-date, nine-month nationwide arena and stadium tour between March and December 2024 featuring Sheryl Crow, album collaborator Ferrell, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Matt Maeson, the Middle East, Levi Turner, and Bryan's fellow Oklahoma natives and creative inspirations the Turnpike Troubadours.

For comparable size and scope and dynamic of the impact of Bryan's tour, consider that at the close of 2022, Morgan Wallen announced 56 dates worldwide between April and October 2023. At the close of 2021, Charley Crockett announced a run of 54 worldwide concerts between June and November 2022.

Presale access for Bryan's audacious tour begins on Wednesday, Sept. 6, with general on-sale tickets available two days later.

More information can be found at https://zachbryanpresale.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Zach Bryan achieves crossover fame with release of self-titled album