Other than Morgan Wallen, there is undoubtedly no other artist in country music as successful as Zach Bryan at the moment. With over 26 million monthly listeners on Spotify, habitual Top 10 entries on both Billboard’s country and rock charts and a growing fanbase that becomes more dedicated by the day, it seems that the “I Remember Everything” singer is at a level that very few artists can ever dream to be at.
With that being said, there are some concerns heading into 2025 for Bryan’s overall career trajectory that makes it a bit of a make-or-break for the Oklahoma native, who has an album and EP slated to release throughout the year. Between the drama outside of the studio, a repetitive formula that is becoming more apparent with each release and the uncertainty of both his touring and music career, doubts about whether Bryan can maintain his superstar status over the coming years begin to arise.
Beginning with the most obvious, it’s becoming increasingly apparent with every release that Bryan needs to enlist a new creative voice in his production. While I wouldn’t go as far as to say that every song sounds the same given there’s no denying that new releases like “Oak Island” and “28” share their own unique identity, his songs have become a bit formulaic as of late. Between similar vocal runs and the noticeable lack of bridges on most songs, as well as a similar overall vibe from album to album, it seems that Bryan has hit a bit of a wall from a creative perspective.
Though he doesn’t possess the lyrical ability of the likes of Tyler Childers, Jason Isbell and Evan Felker of Turnpike Troubadours, there is absolutely no denying that Bryan is a prolific songwriter in his own right. He has the ability to deliver some of the most devastating lyrics you’ve ever heard; however, those lyrics would be elevated ten-fold if they were paired with production choices that allowed them to stand out more.
Since American Heartbreak’s release in 2022, the “Something in the Orange” singer has self-produced his last two albums and his 2023 EP, Boys of Faith. Getting a different creative voice as a producer, whether it’s Sturgill Simpson, Adam Odor, Jay Joyce or Dave Cobb, who has worked with Bryan in the past, would not only provide a much-needed change of pace in Bryan’s creative process but would also challenge him to go outside of the comfort zone that he’s been creating in over the past few releases.
The second and arguably most important course correction heading into 2025 would be his public image. Regardless of your opinion on the incredibly public, toxic breakup that Bryan endured with Barstool personality, Brianna LaPaglia, better known as Brianna Chickenfry, there is no doubt that his public image has been stained at least to some extent.
Couple the fallout with Bryan’s incessant need to engage with trolls online and constantly deactivating and reactivating his social media accounts, and you have a recipe for people to grow tired regardless of your musical output.
While it should be stated that there have been hundreds of artists who have done much worse things throughout their careers than what LaPaglia alleges that Bryan did throughout their relationship and still held their star status (just look at Kanye West scoring a #1 album with Vultures 1 this past year), there’s no doubt that his reputation took a major hit due to the fallout.
Finally, Bryan needs to be much more transparent with the future of his career. It’s clear that his fans desperately want to see him create new music and perform for the foreseeable future, but the 28-year-old singer/songwriter has made more than a few comments over the past year that allude to him potentially dropping out of the spotlight entirely.
Whether it’s his Instagram stories which frequently hint at him being frustrated with the constant meddling by fans and his claims of nearly every tour/date being his last, there’s been a tangible amount of uncertainty surrounding his next steps as both a touring act and musician.
If Bryan wants to continue his music career at the superstar status he’s at currently, he simply needs to stick to his word and mean what he says. When you say multiple times that a tour is your “last” yet keep scheduling shows or threaten to stop making music and then tease multiple albums worth of material, you run the risk of falling into a “boy who cried wolf” archetype. If I could give one piece of advice as a fan since early 2020, I would say this: Don’t get caught up in the instantaneous nature of social media, take your time and most importantly, don’t make promises you can’t (or won’t) keep.
Overall, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Bryan will continue to experience an incredible amount of success in 2025 regardless of what he does with the upcoming album and EP. With that being said, however, there seems to be a growing speculation on whether Bryan can (or even wants to) continue on the current trajectory he’s on right now.
With a slight change of sound, a hands-off approach to social media and the ability to develop a sense of maturity, I’m more than certain that Bryan can continue his success throughout 2025 and the rest of the decade. For now, however, we’ll just have to wait and see.