The Saving Country Music 2024 Artist of the Year
Recognition as the Saving Country Music Artist of the Year is unique. It’s not tied to any specific album, song, live performance, or commercial success. It’s certainly not a popularity contest. It’s reserved for the one artist that most embodied and implemented the idea behind the phrase “saving country music” in a given year. It’s for someone who fearlessly shoulders the cause of true country and preserving the roots of the music, and despite the odds and adversity, finds success doing so.
The Saving Country Music Artist of the Year is someone who rekindles our spirit and hope that country music will be something future generations will also enjoy, and in it’s most genuine form. And when considering all of these requirements, is there a question in anyone’s mind that in 2024, the performer who most embodied this philosophy in country music was Zach Top?
Zach Top was the one who took the love for country music steeped in a style 35 years in the past, and not only paid it forward, but made it hyper popular in a capacity we never dreamed of being possible in the present tense. He took young people who’d never heard ’90s country, and old people who grew up on it, and put them all in the same audience. Then he made that audience as enthusiastic as any audience you will ever witness.
Proving that traditional country can still be commercially applicable, inspiring other performers to take up the mantle of true country music, and opening doors for his fellow neotraditionalist performers to succeed is the power that Zach Top’s success has afforded. Zach Top makes it possible to see a future in country that is more true to country’s roots than the present.
It’s not that we haven’t seen other performers over the last few years take up the charge of traditional country and find success with it. But they’ve never been so perfect to take it to the next level like Zach Top. Performers like Joshua Hedley and Jake Worthington helped set the table for the resurgence of the ’90s country sound, but it’s Zach Top who’s bringing the feast.
And it’s all resonating and catching on so deeply, the mainstream can’t ignore it. Zach Top is receiving mainstream country radio play. He’s getting nominated for CMA Awards. Above all, Zach Top simply has a cool factor that audiences connect with. And at 27 years of age, his career is just getting started.
The Saving Country Music Artist of the Year does not go through a nomination process, and there is no vote for the winner. But if there was a clear runner up in 2024, it would be Kaitlin Butts. Not only did she release a landmark, conceptualized album in Roadrunner! that’s nominated for Saving Country Music Album of the Year, she might have been the hardest-working performer in country music in 2024. Constantly on tour and playing festivals coast-to-coast, Kaitlin burst through this year, and became one of the top performers in independent country.
But 2024 will go down as the year of Zach Top. And when we look back at all that he accomplished in 2024, we might be giving it credit to these moments for helping to take the effort to save country music to new heights previously unseen. And there’s no concern that Zach Top will hop genres on us, or contemporize his sound. If he pulls a wild card, it will be to release a bluegrass album like he did with his debut.
Breathe a sigh of relief true country music fans. The future is in good hands. The future of country music is Zach Top.
December 26, 2024 @ 8:42 am
Great choice!
December 26, 2024 @ 8:58 am
I think we all know how I feel about it. His album was #1 and had the most spins in my world. I saw him come here in February and open for Flatland Cavalry, jamming with them on the encore where I watched jaws drop at his dexterity/showmanship. When he came back in July to headline his own sold out show at Joe’s on Weed st. the atmosphere was electric with the crowd going wild singing along to every song. A beautiful thing to witness. I had goosebumps! Artist of the Year indeed.
December 26, 2024 @ 11:32 am
JB-Chicago, my 2024 free shows via us99, xrt, do312: Zach Top, Sierra Ferrell, Stephen Wilson, Jr., Nate Smith, Jo Dee Messina. Austin Snell. Leon Bridges, Bri Bagwell.
not expensive: Kylie Morgan, A J Lee, Alana Springsteen.
$125 but worth it: Childers at U.C.
December 26, 2024 @ 9:23 am
Definitely get this. There’s definitely something more special when someone is making quality, substantive music in the mainstream. My brother l loves Zach top and his favorite singer is Hardy. Reminds me of how cool it was the first time I heard Merry Go Round played on the radio. Zach top deserves it. Someone all country music fans can enjoy
December 26, 2024 @ 9:29 am
Excellent choices for both Zach and Kaitlin! Truly was a great year for Country Music!!
December 26, 2024 @ 9:50 am
I probably would have gone with Billy Strings for this year. He released an awesome live album, he released what looks to be his most successful studio album to-date, and he collaborated with EVERYONE. He even gave Mr. Top some major street cred by performing and recording with him. That was a huge boost for the newcomer. AND he’s a brand new papa.
Idk what the qualifications are for this one, but Billy had the best year of any artist, by far.
December 26, 2024 @ 6:33 pm
Nah billy strings couldn’t pick a guitar if it picked his nose.
January 8, 2025 @ 1:23 pm
Ummm, is this a joke? Seriously…besides Molly Tuttle there is no one on earth playing like Billy Strings. Have seen both live and to say that I was in complete awe would be an understatement. Further, why make comments like this? I would not say he’s traditional country’ – bluegrass, yes – but saying that he can’t pick? Wow! Sorry, that’s just foolish, IMHO, but you’re entitled to your opinion…
December 26, 2024 @ 9:51 am
I think it’s time you started a Newcomer of the Year award. That would be more appropriate for Zach imo
December 26, 2024 @ 11:10 am
I can understand this perspective. But I think it’s important to understand Saving Country Music’s place in the world. It’s a stepping stone. It’s most important job is to launch talent that deserves launching, not to fete talent that’s already been established. So in some respects, Artist of the Year awards are “newcomer” awards.
Billy Strings was the Artist of the Year in 2022 when he was emerging as an arena act. Sierra Ferrell was the 2023 Artist of the Year as she was in a meteoric rise. Charley Crockett was Artist of the Year in 2021 when he was becoming a big name in independent country. A year or two from now, Zach Top won’t need Saving Country Music, just like Billy Strings no longer does. But now is the time to get behind him, push hard, and make sure he gets where he deserves to go.
December 26, 2024 @ 10:24 am
Good choice. I recently found his album and cannot stop playing it!!
December 26, 2024 @ 10:32 am
I’m out of here. Just as “What You Love” is not the song of the year for me, Zach Top is not the artist of the year for me. I really like Zach Top. But I think what he did doesn’t come close to Sierra Ferrell or Billy Strings. I think my taste is just not that conservative & traditionalist. But everyone as they like it. I can’t do anything with the top lists here.
December 26, 2024 @ 11:17 am
Billy Strings was the 2022 Saving Country Music Artist of the Year, and Sierra Ferrell was the 2023 Artist of the Year. They’re both nominated for Album of the Year in 2024.
I’m sorry if you feel like you no longer have any use for Saving Country Music. But a central theme to all the end-of-year stuff in 2024 seems to be that you can’t recognize anyone without it being taken as an insult to every single other artists you’re not recognizing in that very moment. I don’t know why that is, and why it’s been so exacerbated this year. If you disagree with the pick, I respect that. But everyone is not always going to be in universal agreement about anything. I feel a strong case was made here for Zach Top deserving this award in 2024.
December 26, 2024 @ 12:20 pm
Akade. This is Saving Country Music. Not Saving Americana Music. Not Saving Alt-Country Music. ( Though this site does cover that to an extent) Its Saving COUNTRY Music. Country music is and has been the music of rural heartland America. It has many different styles and sounds to it. If you were raised on traditional radio country, no one would need to explain it to you.
Zach Top was brought up in traditional bluegrass, performing for that community. He wasn’t an edgy , hippie jam band guy hanging with Dead fans, he was a traditionalist through and through.
Now hes playing the 90s honky-tonk style and if you listen close, there’s nods to George Strait, Brooks and Dunn, Dwight Yoakam and the like. He also likes the older stuff too, Willie, Waylon, Haggard etc. I can tell you that right now, with rural people and fans of the real stuff, hes resonating big time. Hes playing a couple shows near me and they sold out immediately. I didnt get a ticket. Aftermarket tickets at this minute are nearly $300 a piece. Thats outrageous and unheard of for a guy whos just breaking into the scene. But what it shows, is that people are running to see this guy with a fervor. And that cannot be ignored. Hes as a fine a choice for Artist of the Year as any Kyle could make.
December 27, 2024 @ 7:16 am
What you write, Kevin, makes sense. Thanks for that. But am I wrong if I say that there are at least two meanings of “saving”: one in the sense of “preserve” and one in the sense of “renew”. Zach Top is probably the most traditional of the “Class of ’24” (artists in their 20s who have only released a few records and have experienced a significant increase in attention this year) and stands above all for “preservation”. A comparable artist might be Wyatt Flores (in his 20s, only a few record releases and with a huge increase in attention this year). For me, Wyatt Flores is more about “renewing”. Zach Top is an excellent guitarist and singer and I like him a lot. But I personally find Wyatt Flores’ songwriting and overall approach more interesting. And the future will show whether pure “preservation” will save Country music.
December 27, 2024 @ 2:37 pm
I thought Akade and Kevin had a smart, civilized exchange.
December 26, 2024 @ 12:26 pm
So because your picks didn’t win you’re no longer gonna read or visit the website. What a baby.
December 26, 2024 @ 2:51 pm
Better known as a pussy.
December 27, 2024 @ 4:47 am
Never call a locksmith’s son a pussy! 😉
December 27, 2024 @ 6:44 am
Pussy.
December 26, 2024 @ 10:59 am
Gotta admit, it took me a minute to come around on Top. “Sounds Like the Radio” was my introduction to him. And if my eyes rolled any harder hearing that song for the first time, they would have fallen out of my head.
I’ve since gone through the catalog and really appreciate his talent – especially as a player. The work he’s done capturing Gen Z, who were too young to have experienced 90s country has been awesome to watch.
Glad you shouted out Kaitlin too. Not seen many that outwork that girl, and the latest album was great. Heck of a year for both!
December 26, 2024 @ 2:44 pm
This is how I feel about him too. My first and second impression of him is that he is a sort of ‘illegitimate son of Joe Diffie’. None of what I have heard from him has blown me away. He’s’ certainly talented and an excellent course correction in modern music.
December 26, 2024 @ 11:09 am
WELL THE DAY I WAS BORN THE DOC COULDN’T BELIEVE
December 26, 2024 @ 11:22 am
Yeah! We used to tune in each week way back when Zack would post a live video of himself singing a song or two after he got off work on construction. . His talent and picking skills were amazing …and his mannerisms and humble authenticity sealed the deal. I was going to suggest then to Trig that he should listen to Zack Top, but that seemed presumptuous of me because I don’t know anything about music (& I hold Trig as the amazing person who ‘would know if he should know’ lol ). HOW WONDERFUL THAT for 2024 TRIG HAS SELECTED ZT ! (Now if only these two great people could meet and collaborate on country music and life in general. How cool would that be. Cheers from 🇨🇦)
December 26, 2024 @ 11:26 am
Perfect on both counts – I echo your sentiments
December 26, 2024 @ 11:35 am
That’s not how you spell Cody Jinks
December 26, 2024 @ 11:45 am
This isn’t how you spell Song of the Year.
December 26, 2024 @ 11:38 am
Have you thought about doing a fan vote of various categories as well as doing your own picks?
December 26, 2024 @ 11:55 am
Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Single of the Year all go through a nomination process where reader feedback is directly factored into the eventual winners, while the nominees are picked using the reader feedback on album reviews and other articles. None of the winners are determined on a straight up or down vote, because some artists entice their fans to vote, and some ignore the process entirely. We don’t want this to become a popularity contest. The reason Artist of the Year is picked without a nomination process is to insulate if from becoming a popularity contest even further since it’s not tied to a specific piece of music, but a person.
So yes, fans get a vote. And many times, winners are the #1 or #2 vote getters. But ultimately, I make the final decision.
December 26, 2024 @ 11:58 am
Yup. Nailed it. Funny how Sierra, Charlie and Billy could be contenders again too if they hadn’t won it before. That’s validation for the prior choices. I’d bet the same is said in future years with Zach and Kaitlyn. That shelf level is stacking up as CM is S’d.
December 26, 2024 @ 12:29 pm
My list finally lined up with Trig’s. No doubter, although I had Red Clay Strays at #2. Great choice with Zach and happy that it seems every year the winner is having an event bigger effect on the country music universe.
December 26, 2024 @ 12:38 pm
I’d been perfectly fine if we had co artists of the year with Zach and Kaitlin, who i think is still underrated, but I can’t fault the logic and Zachs best years are still ahead of him
December 26, 2024 @ 4:26 pm
Agreed. I’m most excited to see what’s next for Top. I’m hoping a return to his bluegrass roots. This 90’s imitation stuff – I’m not over the moon with it. It feels like there is a lot more to Top than Cold Beer & Country Music.
I loved the Apple Music Sessions EP with Billy Strings released a few weeks back. That feels more natural and less cosplay. But, If the 90’s stuff is paying the bills, rid it until the Chevy S-10 Baja’s wheels fall off!
December 26, 2024 @ 5:19 pm
Im not a big fan of his but i understand the allure. And i know he has many fans so good for him.
December 26, 2024 @ 5:32 pm
While I like Zach Top, Stephen Wilson Jr. Has my vote this year
December 26, 2024 @ 5:59 pm
He sings well and is authentic. My grade is 3.5/5. But he doesn’t risk anything. It is nothing groundbreaking. In my remote village we call them ´young fogeys´. Country music needs another kind of people, to be listened to by young people. I.e. Waylon Wyatt…
December 26, 2024 @ 6:15 pm
Trig, don’t get down on any part of this and change things in the future because you can never please everyone! This does not have the poetic attributes that break ground for me and I don’t get Cody Jinx, but I truly appreciate what you are doing and fully understand that the greater good beats my personal tastes.
Thanks for a great year pushing us all along on a fantastic path for country!
December 27, 2024 @ 12:07 am
Great choice and I can think of a few that followed close behind.
December 27, 2024 @ 1:18 am
I think we need a separate post to talk about just how bad Beer for Breakfast is. Sounds like Midland playing a song written by Tyler Hubbard. That song alone should exclude Zach Top from topping any year end list…. And the fact Bobby Bones is his second dad.
December 27, 2024 @ 7:52 am
I agree “Beer For Breakfast” was disappointing. For what it is—a silly song—it’s fine. But the issue with Zach is his songwriting needs more depth. “Beer For Breakfast” is not that.
December 31, 2024 @ 1:16 pm
Yes second this. The music is great but the lyrics thin at best. Most of the songs on his recent album don’t really land with any impact. Trucks beer radio party lonesome rinse repeat.
December 27, 2024 @ 1:24 pm
When I heard that there was a new release from Zach Top, and I saw that the title was “Beer for Breakfast,” I was hopeful that it was going to be a cover of the Channing Wilson song. Sadly, it is not.
If you have not heard “Beer for Breakfast” by Channing Wilson, go check it out now. It hits hard, and in all the right ways.
As for Zach Top, I hope that he continues to develop and mature with his next album. If he can hone in on the song writing, he could truly explode to the next level.
December 27, 2024 @ 9:06 pm
I occasionally watch old interviews on Youtube of the greats: Letterman, Dick Cavett, Johnny Carson. Bobby Bones irritates me down into my bones with how juvenile, inept, and undeserving he is of his position and fame. Anyone who likes Bobby Bones is a harsher word than stupid.
December 27, 2024 @ 2:37 am
The greatest thing Zack Top has been able to do is reach regular people while being completely country. He hasn’t relied on gimmicks or dabbling in other genres to get famous – and he can play guitar well. He also covers a lot of good 80’s and 90’s Country. He’s made a good first impression with the masses and I look forward to his next release. I am just not a fan of ‘Cold Beer and Country Music’ or ‘Sounds like the Radio’ – his biggest songs so far. However a lot of people do like those songs and now that his foot is in the door I really hope he can continue to reach more people and continue to work with songwriters to have an even better second album.
I expect Noeline Hoffman to be artist of the year here in 2025 or 2026. I’ve been listening to her more than any other alt country artist and her song Rodeo Junkies (my favorite) is getting a lot of plays on WMOT in Nashville.
December 27, 2024 @ 7:55 am
There is a reason that Zach Top won Artist of the Year and not Album of the Year. As I said in my review of “Cold Beer and Country Music,” Zach needs to take his songwriting a bit more seriously if he’s going to sustain and grow his success. The ’90s retro thing is a great stepping stone. But ultimately he’s going to need to make his own original stamp on country music if he’s going to go to the next level.
December 27, 2024 @ 8:40 am
Zach Top’s craftsmanship is excellent, but I think he’s missing “that certain something” that really justifies the title of “Artist of the Year”. Colter Wall, Charley Crockett, Sierra Ferrell and Billy Strings already had that “certain something” that made them stand out artistically when they were named “Artist of the Year”.
December 27, 2024 @ 9:49 am
Fair enough.
Having seen Zach Top perform three separate times in 2024, including in collaborations with other artists including Billy Strings, I do think he has that indefinable special quality. But time will tell, and not every artist is going to appeal to everyone. Billy Strings and Sierra Ferrell definitely have their detractors as well.
I just want people to appreciate that these are very difficult decisions to come to, I don’t come to them lightly, I think I have a pretty good track record of picking talent.
December 27, 2024 @ 8:58 pm
His vocal style feels partially contrived to me. I think that’s why I don’t share the same excitment for him that other people do.
December 27, 2024 @ 8:35 pm
I agree with Zach Top being artist of the year. People who still don’t know about Charley Crockett or Sierra Ferrell know who Zach Top is.
I was reading Zach Top’s wiki page and he has some monster songwriters who helped write his album – Paul Overstreet and Tim Nichols have cuts on the album. The songwriting for this album was over a 5 year period. It’s disappointing that with the team around him his first album wasn’t better.
December 27, 2024 @ 3:08 am
spotless choice, the guy is a great picker and singer. I love his first album too, don’t be pushed away by the 90’s cosplay ’cause there’s so much more in him to discover.
December 27, 2024 @ 4:30 am
…for what it’s worth – a(nother) view on things from outside the usa: zach top made the cover/cover story of Swiss country music monthly “country style” in november. kaitlin butts was cover and cover story in may, sierra ferrell in july and megan moroney was highlighted in september 2024 (ahead of her gig in zurich). i guess, this kinda confirms this actual scm view on things rather nicely, independently and from across the atlantic ocean.
however, my choice for country artist of the year – also based on the scm criteria – was lainey wilson. hence, she graces the “coveted” year-end issue now in december (context: last year it was zach bryan, 2022 billy strings). objectively, no other country star was more instrumental bringing back the cowboy (spirit) into the frame while oozing more “street cred” along the way than her – not even cody johnson, who did a fine job too. i had him on the april-cover, actually.
fun fact, zach top had a heck of a time supporting ms. wilson on her big tour this year and was praising her quite a bit too having been made feel very welcome. when it comes to impact, zach top is a fair choice, when it comes to impact and substance, ms. wilson would rightfully be the choice (from a more global mainstream perspective). on artistic merits and impact, no one could hold a candle to sierra ferrell this year, however.
December 27, 2024 @ 11:55 am
Ella Langley is a much better country vocalist than Lainey Wilson, but Trigger can’t deal with the authenticity of Ella’s vocals and writing.
Ella is bringing the country music, all by herself.
But, we all understand that SCM is still trying to be the “edgy” outlier.
And Ella is head and shoulders above Zach Top, for Artist of The Year.
And, Jamey Johnson is still the one to fill that spot, for 2024.
December 27, 2024 @ 2:38 pm
Both Lainey Wilson and Ella Langley have won CMA Awards and had #1 songs on country radio. With all due respect to them, that’s not what I’m looking for here. Not to say a mainstream artist couldn’t win it if they deserved it. Zach Top in certain ways is a mainstream country artist. But Lainey Wilson and Ella Langley don’t need the push. They also both released albums in 2024 with pop and rock-oriented songs written by committee. I like both of them, but neither was even considered for this award, and if either were picked, it would be a full-blown insurrection in this comments section, and for good reason.
” Trigger can’t deal with the authenticity of Ella’s vocals and writing.”
I have no idea what this means.
December 27, 2024 @ 6:01 am
Concert for crickets by Ryan Upchurch,was one of the best country Albums to come out.. Zach needs to write faster been listening to that album for a while now.
December 27, 2024 @ 9:10 pm
Upchurch is the biggest imbecile under the country music banner. He cannot speak without using ‘Fuck’ and all it’s derivatives as a filler word and punctuation. Upchurch is the country music equivalent of Insane Clown Posse. The world would be a better place is Upchurch would ramp up his substance abuse a bit more and push himself into a fully vegetative state vs the slight vegetative state he is in now.
December 27, 2024 @ 11:08 pm
Think you mean Jelly Roll you clearly didn’t listen to the album
December 28, 2024 @ 12:33 am
Watch any video of Upchurch talking. He’s an idiot.
December 28, 2024 @ 8:29 am
Lol no I just listen to people’s music, if it’s good it’s good, if it’s bad it’s bad I don’t care who you are away from the microphone and notepad, but some are good musicians and some just have a good voice, if everyone had to write their own songs we would have less Artist, not to mention the studio magic for the ones who can’t keep a beat have to sing everything 5 times when they record a song.
December 28, 2024 @ 2:48 pm
Fair enough. Weirdly enough a lot of songwriters with 1# songs are objectively bad musicians and singers.
December 28, 2024 @ 2:49 pm
I still maintain that the country music antichrist is Luke Bryan. I hate his music more than I hate anything.
December 27, 2024 @ 6:41 am
I am a huge Joshua Hedley fan and I think it is a bigtime shame that he is not more famous and appreciated than he is. His voice is just amazing and his recreation of old-style country is fantastic and fun to listen to. I really hope he doesn’t just fade away into obscurity.
December 27, 2024 @ 7:59 am
Interesting to note that if you look at the liner notes of Joshua Hedley’s 2022 album “Neon Blue,” Zach Top co-wrote five of the songs, and Zach’s producer Carson Chamberlin is also heavily involved. “Neon Blue” is the prototype to “Cold Beer & Country Music.”
December 27, 2024 @ 10:31 am
Right, I noticed that, those two are on the same plane in my book
December 27, 2024 @ 4:38 pm
My take on Hedley. I’ve seen him multiple venues and settings. He does a weekly gig at Robert’s. That gig pays the man handsomely. People who play Robert’s make a decent living. I sense that Hedley is Aok with that. He doesn’t need to tour, he can be with his family this way. And he’s a draw at Robert’s, so the means of living ain’t drying up.
December 28, 2024 @ 7:04 am
That’s fine, if that’s his plan and what he wants to do with his career, nothing wrong with it at all. I just hope he continues to release an album once in a while so that those of us who enjoy him and can’t come to see him will have more new music to listen to
December 27, 2024 @ 8:00 am
I agree with Zach Top as 2024 Artist of the Year. I’ve probably played his “Cold Beer & Country Music” album more than any other new record this year. I enjoy ZT’s songs and musicianship and have been a subscriber of his YouTube channel for over a year. It will be interesting to watch how his career as an artist progresses in the future. Cheers & Twangs!
December 27, 2024 @ 8:25 am
FINE JOB! <3
December 27, 2024 @ 2:57 pm
With all the really great musicians currently in Country, etc these days with the name, I think in a few years there will be thousands of little Zachs across the globe. I know if I see the name on a music releaseno matter what name follows, it gets an immediate listen. This year’s Zach has paid of ten times over. Just so listenable and back then. Love it
December 28, 2024 @ 12:30 am
I couldn’t agree more! As one of those “old people” who grew up on 90s country, it’s been way too long since I was this excited about an artist (and yes I’m familiar with the others mentioned in these comments). I agree that Beer for Breakfast isn’t great but novelty songs have never been my thing. But listen to Use Me and listen to Dirt Turns to Gold and try not to get goosebumps. When I found out he was playing a little historic theater about an hour away from me, I called off work, went by myself and saw just him and his guitar with maybe 30 people. No gimmicky costumes or theatrics and it was incredible. He deserves every success!
December 28, 2024 @ 12:45 am
Late to the party in commenting, and I hate being a debby downer on this website all the time, but Zach Top pretty much embodies everything that I’ve hated about the last two years of country music. If I had to point to only one artist (though good grief there are so many more) that inspired me to essentially take the year off from country music and explore other genres instead, I’d probably choose him. So, in what I consider to be the worst year for country music in over a decade, I guess it is fitting that Mr. Top is artist of the year.
I’ll finish with this, great country music comes from embracing the past with open arms while still contributing a new sonic direction. Artists like Zach are pure regression, shamelessly copying and repackaging others music. He’s no better than Creed, for example, in this way. The guy can pick a guitar and work a stage sure, but regardless of how many times he practiced his bluegrass scales, or how much girls like his mustache, it does not change the fact that he hasn’t demonstrated an ounce of actual songwriting, arrangement, or production creative talent. Even his singing voice is a manufactured and ripped off facade. Maybe he will put out something of real artistic value in the future, something worthy of Artist of the Year, but he hasn’t yet.
Honestly Trigger, I’m disappointed. Putting aside whether you enjoy his music or not, I strongly feel that honoring and promoting an unoriginal regressor like Zach Top with your platform does nothing to benefit or “save” the future of country music.
Trigger, I genuinely hope you respond to this, as I am truly concerned about what’s happening with this genre right now, maybe you know something that I’m missing.
December 28, 2024 @ 9:55 am
Hey Steel & Antlers,
First, as I said when reviewing the Zach Top album, as I’ve said since then, and as I’ve said in this very comments section, I think Zach Top leaves some to be desired when it comes to his songwriting. This ’90s interpretation stuff got him here, and I think that’s great. But if he’s going to become a great one in country music, he’s going to have to find a style and sound that’s more original to himself. This is the reason he won Artist of the Year as opposed to Album of the Year.
That said, it would be almost impossible for me to not recognize the incredible year Zach Top had with that ’90s country sound and style. He has transformed the entire genre, and who knows where it could lead in the future. And this isn’t just an assessment of his recorded music, but his live performances, and the success he’s had with his music.
Do I think it’s been a “down” year for country music? Generally speaking, taking a broad perspective, country music continues to improve in the aftermath of the Bro-Country era. But, I don’t know that 2024 had those 3 or 4 incredible albums all competing with each other than made it feel like an incredible year in the independent realm like we’ve seen in previous years. Then you also have this weird Beyonce/Post Malone/Jelly Roll thing going on that is confusing and conflating everything. So even though I think overall country music continues to get better, I can understand someone’s perspective who says otherwise.
And finally, this year’s end-of-year stuff has been extremely divisive and divided. Just in this comments section, you can see people who say Zach Top renewed their hope in country music. So even though your assessment might be different, it also feels like the outlier. That doesn’t mean you’re “wrong” because taste is subjective. But where in 2023 it felt like everyone agreed with things almost universally, in 2024, there are wild opinions about who should win what. I think this is a symptom of there being no clear front runners.
I don’t think Zach Top is a regression, because country music isn’t linear, it is circular. Zach Top allows us to round the circle back in the right direction. Hopefully in the future, Zach or other performers can then take that momentum, and take country music into even more creative and original directions.
December 29, 2024 @ 2:36 am
Very fair response Trigger, thank you.
It sounds like we are pretty much on the same page regarding his songwriting. I think I just had an incorrect idea of what the criteria for Artist of the Year is, not putting enough weight on cultural impact and success. You are right to point out that Album of the Year is the more apt way to award recording quality.
I agree wholeheartedly with most of your third paragraph, especially as an album-centric music consumer. However, the sentence “Generally speaking, taking a broad perspective, country music continues to improve in the aftermath of the Bro-Country era.”, reminds me of what is perhaps my biggest concern, which is that country might be running the course of rock post-grunge. “Well, it’s no prime Childers/Sturgill/Colter/Jinks, but at least it’s better than bro-country” feels a lot like “Well, it’s no prime Nirvana/PJ/AIC/Soundgarden, but at least it’s better than glam metal”. At some point you have to innovate past repackaging the music of the legends before you, or the product continues degrading in quality until dissolution.
Very good points in the fourth paragraph. There clearly is an audience for this stuff and taste is subjective, maybe I’m just not the kind of listener that the independent country scene is angling towards these days. I also agree on the lack of frontrunners statement, because, in all honesty, I’m not sure if there’s anybody that I really feel strongly should’ve won.
On the last point, maybe I’d be more on board with Zach if I was a fan of the brand of country music he’s replicating. To me, the return of the childish lyrics and pandering from that style of 90’s country doesn’t feel like circling back to the right direction.
Thanks again responding and giving your thoughts, it certainly slowed me down and made me look at the situation a little deeper. This kind of open forum dialogue is part of what makes this site great and keeps me coming back.
December 28, 2024 @ 6:28 am
Congrats to Zach Top on SCM’s artist of the year. While we all have our different favorites for different reasons, there’s no denying Zach has come from out of nowhere to unexpected success in country music in 2024.
December 29, 2024 @ 12:18 pm
I really enjoyed watching Zach Top open up Lainey Wilson’s sold out show here in NYC at Radio City Music Hall. I hope he cuts another record soon and that it’s as good as (or even better than) Cold Beer & Country Music. His less well known self-titled debut album is also enjoyable. Top is a good, charismatic, and confident artist whose delivery is polite and in earnest, and he’s got a strong ear for hooks.
December 31, 2024 @ 7:31 pm
Nice choice!
December 31, 2024 @ 10:27 pm
I like your choice, Trigger! Got my CD delivered in 24 hours and I love it! Thanks for all you do promoting my main hobby: Country Music!
January 6, 2025 @ 7:33 am
In complete agreement about Zach Top. I saw him with Zach Top in NYC and looking forward to his solo show here. He’s great performer whose songwriting will hopefully mature. In my mid-40s, I do disagree with people who grew up on 90s country being “old” 🙂