Alright, This Zach Bryan Parody of Brantley Gilbert Is Pretty Hilarious
You almost hate to broach the subject of the ding dong Super Bowl Halftime Show(s) again because it’s such a culture war dog whistle. But something most all self-respecting country fans should be able to universally agree upon is the terribleness of Brantley Gilbert, and specifically the song “Dirt Road Anthem” that Brantley co-wrote with country rapper Colt Ford, and that became a massive hit for Jason Aldean in 2011.
How big was “Dirt Road Anthem” in 2011? It wasn’t just a #1 hit, it helped define country music in the era. It remains the most downloaded song in country music history by a solo male. It crossed over to pop, and was a Top 10 hit there too (#7). Aldean’s album My Kinda Party won the CMA Album of the Year in large part to the commercial strength of the song, and “Dirt Road Anthem” was even nominated for a Grammy.
All of this commercial success for “Dirt Road Anthem” is very much what seeded country music’s Bro-Country era. It created the avenue for the rise of Florida Georgia Line and others that synthesized country/rap/EDM/pop into the Bro-Country hybrid. In truth, most country fans didn’t like this crap. It was pop and hip-hop fans whose activity was logged on country charts that made it appear country was going hip-hop.
Brantley Gilbert performed the song on TPUSA’s alternative Super Bowl Halftime program, because it’s one of the few if any songs he can be tangentially tied to that a wide audience would in any way be able to recognize. Gilbert did record a version of the song himself as well. If you think the TPUSA lineup was weak, appreciate why they booked Brantley Gilbert as the opener for it. And of course, witnessing “Dirt Road Anthem” live was pretty nauseating.
Zach Bryan, who called the TPUSA presentation “the most cringe sh-t on the planet” recently took to social media to post a parody of “Dirt Road Anthe.” We’ll call “Chili on a Hot Dog,” and it’s pretty damn hilarious.
Brantley Gilbert has since responded in kind, getting his private chef to hit up the local Sonic and supply a couple of chili dogs for a response video. It shows Gilbert can take some criticism in stride, and can show a humerous side himself. The caption is pretty spot on too, with Gilbert saying, “Zach Bryan, you can climb all the fences you want, you’re not getting my chili dog,” making reference to another Zach Bryan country music fracas with Gavin Adcock.
Now this is how a country music “beef” should go down, frankly.
And damn, all of a sudden I’m hankering for a chili dog.
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February 12, 2026 @ 11:57 am
Honestly fun in jest with all sides involved.. except Aldean who couldn’t resist with commenting about how it was best song he’s heard from Zach.
February 12, 2026 @ 12:27 pm
Yeah but that’s a pretty funny quip too, though Jason Aldean definitely comes across like someone who can’t laugh at himself.
February 12, 2026 @ 11:59 am
Honestly, I’m done trying to figure Zach Bryan out. One minute, he’s pissing me off by being a total asshat, then this week, he’ll return to my good graces with his commentary on ToiletPaper USA’s show and this funny-ass parody.
I’m not the biggest fan of his music. He’s got some good songs, but I’m just gonna enjoy him for what he is and stop trying to figure out what the hell goes through this guy’s mind.
February 12, 2026 @ 12:24 pm
Give Zach Bryan credit for popping off on bad pop country. He’s no Hank3, but now on numerous occasions he’s taken some of the worst stuff to task.
February 12, 2026 @ 2:18 pm
Ive decided ZB is a 20 something that cant take anything in life seriously, reads and reacts to the world around him, and doesnt know what he wants to be when he grows up. He throws out lines about ICE because he either just throws out lines about whats going on, or he cant bring himself to be serious about what he believes in. Suffice it to say his maturity seems to be slower than others (namely someone like Tyler Childers) but I have high hopes for him. His music is good but all over the place. If he ever decides to hunker down his music could become more impactful and lasting in memory.
February 12, 2026 @ 2:32 pm
“Ive decided ZB is a 20 something that cant take anything in life seriously…”
“Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think.”
Sorry about your brain, Mike.
February 12, 2026 @ 2:48 pm
Good chance much of your 1st sentence is true, but it’s not too hard to figure out why. This is a guy who joined the Navy at 17 and there was a good chance he would stay the 20 years. He posts a video on you tube and just a few years later was one of the most popular music artists in the country. A few years later he sells his music for $350MM. Everything was a whirlwind and nothing from his life to date prepared him for any of it. Tyler Childers had to grind to get where he’s at, he always had to have a high degree of focus and maturity.
February 12, 2026 @ 12:03 pm
This recalls the great Lonzo and Oscar plus Homer and Jethro parodies of my boyhood..goofy but dang clever..” She burnt my first page sport section and all .”
February 12, 2026 @ 12:37 pm
1. Bottoms Up is a guilty pleasure, so I hate BG only slightly less than you do
2. the fact that he can take a joke makes him a little more endearing
3. if this escalates into fisticuffs, my money is absolutely on Brantley Gilbert. He would stomp a mudhole in Zach Bryan and walk it dry. Lets hope we never find out tho. I’m not advocating for violence.
February 12, 2026 @ 1:08 pm
Bottoms Up is a weird song. It’s got this sinister foreboding minor chord progression juxtaposed with lyrics are all about cutting loose and partying
February 12, 2026 @ 1:31 pm
that’s a very good observation. Lyrically, it falls squarely into the bro-country mold of its era — pretty standard, surface-level stuff — but the music itself is undeniably effective. There’s something about the groove and that driving, minor key intensity that just hits. It gets me moving and fires me up in a way few songs can, even if I roll my eyes a bit at the lyrics
February 12, 2026 @ 2:54 pm
And that’s why I love it, it’s one of the songs that got me into country/southern rock in the first place in my early teens. Real nostalgic
February 12, 2026 @ 12:49 pm
Most cringe shit he’s ever heard? I mean yeah but has he heard ‘Revival’ off his own Live at Red Rocks album?
February 12, 2026 @ 1:07 pm
Maybe he’s just like the actors who claims that they never watch their own stuff?
Not that I doubt it, why else would he release all thst crap?
February 12, 2026 @ 1:40 pm
A film is often at the mercy of post-production and editing. Zach Bryan is responsible for all of his production.
February 12, 2026 @ 2:48 pm
The album “All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster (Live From Red Rocks)” was recorded in a driving snowstorm, and was released on Christmas as sort of a gift to his fans, and as a middle finger to Ticketmaster. I agree the recordings are not good. I’ve always chastised Zach Bryan for his low production value. Zach Bryan was not behind the board, or responsible for the mixing and mastering of the project according to the credits. Not excusing the sloppy nature of the recording, but I just see that as low hanging fruit. Plenty of other more viable things to criticize Zach Bryan for.
February 12, 2026 @ 1:59 pm
Sorry didnt meam to reply to you.
February 12, 2026 @ 2:21 pm
Thanks for nothing, then…
February 12, 2026 @ 1:58 pm
Well kind of ironic that zach is popping off about “bad pop country when hes regularly portrayed as country which generally is an equally bad joke.
February 12, 2026 @ 1:22 pm
It didn’t exactly “cross over to pop”. It was a Top 10 hit on the Hot 100, which is an all-genres chart, not specifically a pop chart. It did not get airplay on pop radio, or at least not enough to chart in the Top 50.