Zach Bryan Captures the Complexities of Life In His New Album “With Heaven On Top”

Zach Bryan’s album cover for his most recent release, “With Heaven On Top”, features both him and his dog, Jack, by a mountain stream in the forest. The photograph highlights the album’s themes of nature and being connected to where you are. The red letters and old timey font contribute to his overall message of slowing down and appreciating the little things more. Photo creds: Wikipedia

Carrie Bradbury, Review Desk Lead

On January 9, Zach Bryan released his sixth studio album “With Heaven On Top”, which featured 25 original tracks. After the original release, acoustic covers of every song were added three days later. The album is equivalent, if not better, than Bryan’s other albums, all of which display his ability to capture the love, pain, and unforgettable moments which occur in every listener's life, within a song. While this album represents a shift that has occurred in Bryan’s personal life, making note of his recent break-up and marriage, the album is still relatable to and beloved by listeners.

“With Heaven On Top” is filled with hit songs, although not every one can be a favorite. While fans find comfort in and feel deeply connected to the slow, lullaby-like songs, his best work on the album was in the more upbeat tracks. This album is slowly becoming my favorite by Bryan, and it is due to these three particular songs.

3. “With Heaven On Top”- Acoustic

The titular song, “With Heaven On Top” captures the emotion, turmoil, and passion that every listener feels. The song takes listeners through what it is like living with heartbreak and losing friends, while also attempting to explore and enjoy what the world has to offer. Although “With Heaven On Top” first caught my attention when I was listening to the original release, I find the acoustic version to be more moving and easier to listen to. The lyric, "It's a long hard day and a talk with dad, He was a heavy-footed boy in an ol’ fastback,” was one of my favorites on the whole album. Anyone who is looking for a simple country song about love and loss will find this track to be perfect. 

2. “Slicked Back”

“Slicked Back” sounds similar to many of Bryan’s past love songs, with a catchy chorus, prominent guitar, and honeymoon feeling. However, this song is different from anything he’s done before. The song fits perfectly with a country road drive in the heat of southern summers and the longing you have to be with the person you love. With a catchy chorus and verses teeming with vocabulary, the song is easily one of his most brilliantly written love songs. While a love song was unexpected for this album, it fits in with the rest of the tracks smoothly and is another piece of the puzzle that helps make this album so remarkable. 

1. “Appetite”

My favorite song on the album is “Appetite” due to its unique, dramatic music and angsty lyrics. The song serves as a personal reflection from Bryan, in which he questions his purpose in life and the person he is becoming. While the track has a more rock sound than most of the other songs, it is a testament to the growth of Bryan’s songwriting abilities and character development over the past few years. The lyric within the main chorus, “With my money bloodied and my belt so tight, I’ve worked myself up an appetite,” is a brilliant way to tie the song together and make the more unconventional title make perfect sense. 

Zach Bryan is undoubtedly one of the most successful artists of this generation. He has an unmistakable talent for songwriting, guitar playing, and singing, both live and recorded. While Bryan got his start back in 2019 with his debut album “DeAnn”, he has taken off with his two most recent albums “The Great American Bar Scene” and “With Heaven On Top”. With only a two-year gap between the two hit albums, new and old fans are kept in constant excitement.

“With Heaven On Top” follows Bryan’s usual music style and album layout, with the inclusion of both love and break-up songs. Within the songs, Bryan opens up to listeners about his ongoing struggle with addiction and fame and how both have caused the artist unexpected challenges. 

As many fans know, he recently went through a breakup with longtime girlfriend, Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia, in 2024, and then got married to Samantha Leonard Bryan on New Year’s Eve 2025. These shifts in Bryan’s romantic life seeped into his songwriting and possibly led him to feel emotions that were not shown on previous albums. While songs on the album are not obviously about either woman, they do give listeners a view into the complexities of Bryan’s personal life.

The album is undoubtedly more sophisticated and emotionally mature than Bryan’s past work. Every song, sad or not, has lyrics that shed a negative light on the world and Bryan’s portrayal of it. Bryan comments in multiple songs on his feelings of wanting to run from life and look for something more free than his current situation. While the song lyrics could be entirely made up and have no connection to the artist's actual life, they do leave the listener wondering about the artist's mental state.

While some may say the negative lyrics might make the album boring or depressing, I found them incredibly easy to relate to as a high school student who is also trying to find their way in life. The album is a beacon of hope for the music industry in a time when other artists may be catering their songs to a specific demographic. Bryan writes about topics all listeners can relate to: love, loss, dwelling on the past, and a hope for a brighter future. 

Whether you are a fan of Bryan or not, this album is unmistakably brilliant. He has consistently been producing music every other year for almost a decade. His ability to write and produce songs so quickly and with enough talent to keep up a strong fan base is something few can do.  

The newly released album plays perfectly into the recently announced “With Heaven On Top” world tour. The tour will further the artist’s career and allow fans to gather and show their support for the new album. While his song style and actions outside of the recording studio might be up for debate, Bryan’s fans can always count on his musical abilities to be top-notch and professional.