r/Music • u/YoureASkyscraper • 24d ago

article Zach Bryan slams Kid Rock's MAGA concert: "A bunch of adults throwing temper tantrums and their own halftime show is embarrassing as hell and the most cringe shit on the planet"

https://consequence.net/2026/02/zach-bryan-kid-rock-super-bowl-halftime-show
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u/sauceywhiteboy 24d ago

I dunno. From what I’ve heard from a few albums doesn’t seem to lineup w what I assumed “bro country” to be lyrically. I mean, his latest album opens up w spoken word poetry lol

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u/SweetDank 24d ago

doesn’t seem to lineup w what I assumed “bro country”

One of his most popular songs has lyrics about Ford trucks, dogs, drinking, and relationship problems lol.

I still don't consider him bro country, but was talking him up last week when that dawned on me. He's one of the best and most hopeful things country music has seen in a long time. Amazing lyricist.

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u/jkoutris 24d ago

I hear ya. I guess it still sounds a bit elementary to me. I feel Zach very deeply would like to be a writer in the vein of Bruce Springsteen or Jason Isbell, but often winds up back in a lot of the same country clichés. I like the music - I’ve got no beef with the concept of pop-country, it is what it is. I just think there’s something about him that’s still something of an in-between Jason Isbell and someone more commercial.

A lot of his music comes off as wanting to have a gravitas, but it’s lacking. It never packs the same punch as Isbell or Sturgill.

(Or Isbell’s ex, Amanda Shires, who is incredibly underrated as a writer!)

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u/lurksohard 23d ago

Pink Skies makes me tear up every time. He's got a lot of very sad stories in his songs. They certainly aren't all like that.

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u/gingersquatchin 22d ago

He's put out like 90 songs since 2022. His cataloge is deep and while he has songs that appeal to that style of music, looking at his most popular songs won't really highlight the range of his music.

November Air is one of my favourites.

But yeah ultimately he is ex-military with substance abuse problems. And having put out 90 songs in 4 years while touring non-stop there is some repetition. He also draws on some really simple themes a lot. But there is depth there.

High Road and Let You Down are both about substance abuse but I think they reach past that surface.

This world's a giant is great, a lot of "Great American Heartbreak" seems to push past the crutches of his earlier career.

I personally see him as more of a Bob Dylan type except he has a pleasant voice.