Zach Top isn't shy when it comes to explaining why he thinks he's so popular. I mean, we all know why, but it's refreshing to hear from the man himself.
Videos by Wide Open Country
The Washington sensation recently won the New Male Artist Of The Year ACM Award, so he's clearly doing something right. The singer has had breakout success, especially in 2024 when he went from social media to the stage.
He's persistently praised as the country artist who's bringing back that 90s sound that country fans are so desperate for. And he's admitted before that he's cool with being the spearhead in this musical movement.
When Zach Top sat down with Evan Paul on Taste of Country Nights, the singer was asked why he thinks he's so popular. And his answer is as candid as it is accurate.
"I think that people are starving for stuff that's real, that isn't filtered and prettied up," he said, hitting the nail on the head.
When reading online discourse, I frequently see country fans pining for that 'honest' country. Music that feels like the singer is expressing personal and worldly truths on their front porch. The genre is ever-changing, and I love how it's evolved through the decades. However, it has become a victim to the mainstream; something many fans have a problem with.
But Zach Top is here to inject some authenticity into the soundscape. Of course, he's not the only artist doing this, but he's one of the best.
Zach Top Doesn't "Hanky-Panky" His Music
Zach Top continued, "The only thing I've ever done on TikTok is sit there with my acoustic guitar and play and sing for 'em, and there's no lip-synching and no hanky-panky with it all."
Here, he's referencing breakout artists who have gained social media traction thanks to playing into pop culture. Artists such as Warren Zeiders, who many criticize for being all show.
"I think people appreciate it, and I think it stands out a little bit, and I would say that would be my best guess why it's worked. I don't know for sure, but I'm sure glad it has."
And I agree. Zach Top's authentic sound, building on the 80s country music he grew up on has moulded him into what many country fans, especially country purists, are desperately after.
