Zac Brown Band’s “Beautiful Drug” (A semi-rant)
Warning: Some Language
The entirety of Zac Brown Band’s frenetic, hodgepodged, mismatched and in many ways misguided new album Jekyll + Hyde will be dispensed with in due course, but if for no other reason than to stem the onslaught of correspondences crippling the Saving Country Music servers with inquiries, let’s first start off by addressing this heartbreaking and most unfortunate first track.
“Beautiful Drug” is not the Zac Brown Band spreading their creative wings. “Beautiful Drug” is not Zac Brown asserting his freedom as an artist. “Beautiful Drug” is not the boys from Georgia “defying genre,” though these excuses and many more will be levied in their defense, and you, YOU the sainted country music and Zac Brown fan will be charged with a treasonous level of closed-mindedness, misunderstanding, and attempts to stifle the evolution of music if you so dare to raise a peep in opposition to Zac Brown finally breaking loose of his corporate bonds to make the music he’s always wanted—which in the case of “Beautiful Drug” is apparently hyper-EDM club pop dance music replete with bass drops and the most horrifically prototypical rhythm and structure employed in American pop music in its history. Sam Hunt, eat your ever-loving, Puma-wearing, flat-brimmed country interloping heart out.
There is one thing to take away from “Beautiful Drug” and one thing only: Zac Brown wants your fucking money America. I would label this a sellout moment, but even that seems to slight just what depravity of character the Zac Brown Band evidences by releasing this song, especially as the first track on an album. He might as well have just cued up a mic and screamed “Fuck You!” to start this thing off. Dig deep in those pockets, put your dollars on the table, and nobody gets hurt except the souls of country music fans. It’s time for the Zac Brown Band to get paid mother truckers, so quit your bellyaching and pony the hell up.
And I swear to the one true God that if anyone, ANYONE tries to tell me that this is Zac Brown Band “defying genre,” I will personally jump through their computer screens and have a conniption fit right there in their living room and take a spasmodic dive into their coffee table a la Chris Farley’s Matt Foley motivational speaker. “Beautiful Drug” fits so incredibly snug in the most stereotypical version of super-concentrated über pop, it could be offered up as the textbook definition. All the banjo track does is add a layer of culpability to this egregious affront on country music by showing Zac Brown knows there’s nothing country here and so it has to be interjected gracelessly and gratuitously. The banjo isn’t a saving grace, it’s a spitting insult to the listener.
What about the lyrics? They might be the most felonious act of “Beautiful Drug.” This “love as a drug” theme has been done thousands upon thousands of times and translated into every language on planet Earth. When you’re taking your cues from Ke$ha singles released half a decade ago, that’s not “evolution” ladies and gentlemen, that’s the audio equivalent of diarrhea. I don’t even see Taylor Swift or Sam Hunt stooping this low frankly. Luke Bryan is looking sideways at this thing today, and yes, let’s not forget when Zac Brown called out the tight-legged one’s “That’s My Kind of Night” as the “worst song I’ve ever heard.” Well congratulations Zac, you just outdid him yourself.
Yes I know, “Beautiful Drug” does not tell the whole story of Jekyll + Hyde and there’s a lot more music to judge it amongst, including some decent songs to help dull the pain a song like “Beautiful Drug” inflicts. But by putting this song first, and by showing such disrespect to the country music institution which has served Zac Brown so chiefly to the tune of millions of dollars, if country music in the mainstream completely implodes, which I would assert could be mere weeks away, then Zac Brown will have blood on his hands no different than any other artist, if he’s not labeled the Benedict Arnold and the most culpable of offenders for such a vociferous offense because unlike the other perpetrators, Zac Brown actually knows better.
READ: Album Review Zac Brown Band’s “Jekyll + Hyde”
“Beautiful Drug” is pandering. But worst of all, it’s hypocritical. At least Bro-Country was compartmentalized amongst a few mainstream male acts. Metro-Politan looks to claim every one of them.
Two Guns Way Down!
May 2, 2015 @ 10:33 pm
This song wasn’t very good one of he worst song on this cd. I like few songs on this one including the #1 hit HOMEGROWN.
May 9, 2015 @ 11:26 am
Yuck, I need a bucket.
Terrific review.
May 9, 2015 @ 2:16 pm
You KNEW!!! You just KNEW it was a matter of time before they turned to the dark side too!!!
May 12, 2015 @ 1:38 pm
You know, the song ain’t country but it ain’t bad on its own terms, either. Or at least not to my ears. I went in expecting a train wreck but imagine my surprise when I discovered my foot was tapping along. Once again, it’s not country music at all, but I don’t think that makes it a bad song. However, not being a bad song also doesn’t necessarily excuse any of the criticisms you make here, either.
May 13, 2015 @ 7:15 pm
Butt. Hurt.
Repetitive? Sure. Stole ideas from previous songs/musicians? Sure. So did Mozart. So did every musician ever. The only people who think a song can be 100% original are non-musicians, so check yourself on that. I don’t honestly give a shit about what genre anything is, if it’s good I’ll listen to it; beautiful drug is a fun, catchy song. Also, just chill. Reading through that article made me visualize your near aneurism and I don’t think it’s really worth it to die from getting too worked up writing an article
May 14, 2015 @ 11:17 am
I have to 100% disagree with you. I love this song and am still in love with ZBB. Yes, they stepped outside of traditional country music. And yes, this album is a mash-up of many styles. But man, they did it well! An artist or group of artist that can transition between genres and do it well is bound to be amazing. Why do people insist on pigeon-holing someone to one thing? When you do that, you limit that artist or group. If you don’t like it, skip that song. Hell, skip the whole album if you hate it so much but don’t slam someone for doing something outside the box. If everyone stayed in their box, we’d all still be listening to classical music. Having been a musician most of my life I can tell you, there is no such thing as anything truly new in the arts; just new takes on old themes. And sorry but, Miss Swift has gone so very far into pop that it’s ridiculous to suggest that she would never “stoop that low”. And Sam Hunt? Much as I love his latest song, it ain’t country at all my friend. So go ahead and come through my computer screen and have your childish conniption fit. I stand my ground saying you are narrow-minded and ZBB remains A.MAZ.ING!
May 18, 2015 @ 1:53 pm
I switched to country to get away from this auto tuned horse shit like Beautiful Drug, glad this came up on Pandora so I don’t waste my money on their upcoming concert or album. I came online specifically to find a rant about the song to confirm I’m not losing my mind here
November 4, 2015 @ 4:00 pm
I actually searched for a rant about this song also. If an artist wants to do a song of a different genre, fine. But I think that it should be on a separate album and labeled as such. When I turn on my radio, and a song like this comes on, I go check my radio thinking someone was changing my station from my country station. I like all genres of music. But when I want to listen to country, I don’t want to turn on my country station and hear auto-tuned pop music! And if I go splurge on a CD from one of my favorite artists and I chose a country CD, I expect to hear country. Which is why I say if they want to cross over to other genres, they should do so on a separate album or even release the few songs as singles that are clearly labeled. With all this new “country pop” music, I’m beginning to think they need new stations for just country pop, or at the very least have a country popular hour. So those of us (which I believe are a large number of the country music fans) that tune into our favorite country music stations to hear “country”, are not forced to listen or change the station every few songs!
May 22, 2015 @ 8:46 am
Yeah it’s all about the money. That’s why they shipped me a free copy of the album when I bought tickets to the concert…your rebuttal will be that you “paid” for the album because you bought tickets and to that I say well I was going to buy the tickets anyways. This is by far the most creative band in country music and dare I say one of the best among all genres of music. They haven’t sold out and I can’t see them ever doing so. They claim that for them it’s all about the music and I have no reason not to believe them. I’m going to see them this Sunday in Pittsburgh and I can’t freaking wait! From what I’ve heard they play almost the entire album and all of the hits…oh yeah and let’s not forget about the amazing covers of songs like Bohemian Rhapsody and Enter Sandman. These guys put on one hell of a show. No opening acts and play for close to 3 hours. I dare you to name me another artist / band that does that.
RANT OVER!
May 28, 2015 @ 7:10 am
I would like to hear this song/album reviewed by someone who actually LIKES ZBB and his style of southern rock music.
I’m not gonna lie, I am that person. Been a huge fan for years, see him in concert every chance I get and am never disappointed by what I see/hear. In fact, last weeks J+H tour was an all time fav of mine….three straight hours of playing featuring amazing features by all of the Bands talent including DiMartini, Bowles, Cook, and Hopkins.
I will say this, the album took some listening to really sink in. Beautiful Drug gave me all the same reactions as I read about here (it still is my least fav on J+H) and I couldn’t begin to speculate as to what about that song inspired him.
But I can say that as a fan of his. Because I appreciate his music and all the different components that it is. So it’s hard to read these reviews objectively because none of them seem to come from anyone who LIKES ZBB in the first place.
Trigger: I enjoyed your review of this song….it was and continues to be my least favorite..the one I skip every time. But I love the album as a whole…with all it has to offer, and I look forward to your review of J+H as a whole.
As for everyone else reviewing, why do you care? Clearly you don’t like ZBB, so subsequently your thoughts on the album shouldn’t matter. It would be like me caring what Toby Keith puts out there. I don’t like his music, so I don’t care. My opinion doesn’t count.
Is anyone on here a ZBB fan? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this song…and beyond.
May 28, 2015 @ 10:51 am
There’s a full review of the album here:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/album-review-zac-brown-bands-jekyll-hyde
November 4, 2015 @ 4:11 pm
I love their music. I don’t even necessarily hate this song in and of it self. What bothers me about this song and others like it, is it being labeled as “country”. Or having it played on a country music station. I truly listen to all genres of music. However when I’m in the mood for country that’s what I want to hear. If an artist wants to branch out and do other genres of music, they should. However my opinion is, it should be on a CD or single labeled as which ever genre it is, and kept on the appropriate stations. Or at the very least if a country station wants to play this new “country pop” music, maybe have an hour for country pop or something. So that the many country music fans that do not like hearing all this new “country pop”, are not having to change the staton every few songs lately!
June 1, 2015 @ 10:19 am
Beautiful Drug is unique and fun. I appreciate artists who do their own thing and Zac Brown Band is a prime example of this. Afterall, the title of this album is Jekyll & Hyde folks. Let them have their breakout moment. I was in audience on opening day in Nashville. While I was a bit taken back by the dragon on stage and feeling like I had been to a rave, waltz, and beach party all while dipping my toes in the sand, I was thrilled by the delivery! I highly recommend this tour for anyone looking to treat themselves.
If you are so inclined to suddenly not like an artist due to one song or one album then I would caution you to never appreciate any new artist out there to avoid being let down. The best vocal talent in this age of world wide exposure will always transcend boundaries if capable and yes that even goes for our beloved banjo pickin, beer drinkin, bare foot and blue jean wearing genre.
July 9, 2015 @ 3:46 pm
Can’t a band put out a different song without everyone bashing them? I happen to love Zac Brown Band and every song on Jekkyl and Hyde.
August 12, 2015 @ 5:20 pm
I’m so sick of most country fans flipping shit every time a country artist sings something other than country. News flash, countrt isn’t the only good kind of music.
August 12, 2015 @ 5:47 pm
Kind of like how Zac Brown did when Luke Bryan released “That’s My Kind of Night”?
August 17, 2015 @ 10:03 pm
Zac Brown didn’t create a career out of bro country like Luke Bryan did. ZBB’s one song on the album that falls into the bro country genre appears to be a popularity move to gain radio presence but it is far from the sellout road that Luke Bryan has taken. Hell, Luke Bryan may as well take the path of Taylor Swift; they both sing the same music anyway! Funny thing is, the song I’ve heard the most from this album is Heavy is the Heart on my local rock stations.
November 14, 2015 @ 6:56 pm
Way to rip off the melody from The Script’s “for the first time,” Zac. You’re not taking into account people in your genre listen to OTHER genres. Wow – what a melody robbery.
November 20, 2015 @ 11:55 am
What a lot of people have written here shows that they do not appreciate efforts to be creative by musicians. So what if it is a departure, ZBB just happens to be exercising their freedom of expression, freedom of musicality. Where would any genre of music be without those artists that have pushed the envelope. I am a musician, I play all kinds of music, I love all kinds of music and I like this song. Leave’em alone people, let them create! One of the wonderful things about music is the freedom to turn it off if you don’t like. Exercise that freedom, but don’t bash the guys that are creating it.
May 3, 2016 @ 8:42 am
“Let us musicians have freedom to do what we want to your favorite genre of music, but you’d better keep your mouth shut about what we’re putting out. Give us your money and shut your mouth!”
That’s what I got from your comment.
December 11, 2015 @ 1:30 pm
Trigger, I hate how one sided your argument against this song is. Music has always been and forever will be a constantly evolving area and if it not for visionaries, similar to what the Zac Brown Band has done with song, we would still be listening music composed by composers similar to Mozart, Bach, or Beethoven. The only reason most of the genre of music exist is due people altering tonalities and rhythms. For example, the concept of country music did not start appearing in the United States until the 1920s.
December 11, 2015 @ 2:54 pm
Ah, the “evolution” argument. Again. Zac Brown isn’t altering anything. He released a generic EDM song to country radio. Of course music needs to evolve. Nobody ever said it didn’t. But “Beautiful Drug” is devolved from techno from 20 years ago.
January 11, 2016 @ 10:14 am
Get a life!
January 28, 2016 @ 6:43 pm
I regret that I spent 2 minutes trying to read this article. Who gives a fuck. If people like it, great! If they don’t? Don’t buy the whole able or click next. If he wants America’s money? People want to give it to him so let him have it!
Know what I want?
Those two minutes back. I almost regret taking 30 seconds to type this as well…
February 18, 2016 @ 5:40 am
Absolutely horrifying! This is the absolute worst the Zac Brown has ever done! A total sell out! Why would somebody who is so successful stoop to this kind of garbage music other than just to put money in his pocket? In he long run he will lose because even someone like me, who is a newcomer to country? music can barely sit through 1 verse without puking? I understand the crossover to rock and roll as there is no new rock and roll. I understand the crossover to rap as it has seemed to maintain both styles for example dirt road anthem. This does not qualify as a crossover it is straight out b******* pop 🙁
April 7, 2016 @ 7:18 pm
I love this song. Life would be a lot more enjoyable if you weren’t so bitter and thinking your opinion is the only right one.
April 15, 2016 @ 2:33 pm
I know I’m a little late to the party on this one, but here goes:
I’m reading all the opinions here about whether or not the song should be accepted on a country album (which it shouldn’t), or country radio (no, again), or “Let’s hear a review from someone who actually likes them”, and all I can think of is what it means to me: I love(d) Zac Brown Band. For a while they were my favorite artists. They had songs out before this that started to blur the lines between genres. I accepted that and kept listening. All I know now, after hearing this song, is that this is the first single from them that I cannot listen to through to the end (still haven’t, not once. As soon as that beat drops, I’m done). Because of this, I refuse to buy the album, and will probably miss out on some good songs. So be it. It makes me that angry, and I’m not the only long-time fan to feel this way. So if ZBB wants to alienate one group of (original) fans to pick up another group of new ones, I guess that’s up to them. It’s actually quite upsetting, but I refuse to patronize someone who just slapped me in the face because someone paid them to.
June 9, 2016 @ 2:59 am
Based on a lot of the comments here, it must be hard to be such a super fanboi/ girl to not be able to identify hypocritical, shoddy $hit when you hear it. Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt, apparently. This song has no redeeming features, and the rant is spot on.
February 8, 2019 @ 6:50 am
Hah, who is this author? ZBB is fantastic music and this song is another that keeps the night alive.
I hope the author enjoyed his cardboard soapbox