{"id":17738,"date":"2026-11-09T09:10:21","date_gmt":"2026-11-09T14:10:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/?p=17738"},"modified":"2026-11-09T09:10:21","modified_gmt":"2026-11-09T14:10:21","slug":"i-remember-everything-lvc-students-reflect-on-zach-bryan-amid-new-album-releases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/2026\/11\/09\/i-remember-everything-lvc-students-reflect-on-zach-bryan-amid-new-album-releases\/","title":{"rendered":"I Remember Everything: LVC students reflect on Zach Bryan amid new album releases"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Luke Macchione \u201928, staff writer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zach Bryan\u2019s recent album releases, \u201cYoung Manhood (and Other Donatable Organs)\u201d and \u201cWith Heaven on Top,\u201d have certainly struck a chord with some, but LVC students discuss whether his controversial lyrics and personality land just as harmoniously as his acoustic guitar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His breakthrough hit, \u201cHeading South,\u201d wasn\u2019t filmed in a studio or with high-quality recording equipment and a band. It was recorded outside his Navy barracks with an iPhone and an acoustic guitar while on active duty. On September 6, 2019, he posted \u201cHeading South\u201d to YouTube, which exploded alongside his songs \u201cCondemned\u201d and \u201cLetting Someone Go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fast forward to today, and Bryan has become a country music sensation, writing and producing several hits, including \u201cSomething in the Orange,\u201d \u201cI Remember Everything,\u201d and \u201cHeading South,\u201d all of which have over a billion plays on Spotify. Bryan\u2019s January 2026 album, \u201cWith Heaven on Top,\u201ddebuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, his shocking rise to fame wasn\u2019t without its setbacks. On September 7, 2023, he and his security guard were traveling in separate vehicles when his security guard got pulled over for speeding. Eventually, Bryan got frustrated with the delay and confronted the police officer about it. He was then arrested after refusing to get back in his vehicle for \u201cobstruction of an investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, some of his songs feature polarizing lyrics, including his song \u201cBad News,\u201d which states, \u201cand ICE is gonna come bust down your door,\u201d while also, in the same song, calling the right \u201cred\u201d and the left \u201cwoke.\u201d Ironically, given his previous confrontations with the law, Bryan uses profanity to call police officers cocky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third-year early childhood education major and special education minor, Nina Milosevic, describes herself as a country music fan but not a consistent Zach Bryan listener.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She enjoyed listening to \u201cPlastic Cigarette\u201d and \u201cSkin,\u201d two songs from Bryan\u2019s album, \u201cWith Heaven on Top\u201d.<\/em> However, when describing the album, she shared a critique of Bryan: several songs had a similar rhythm, which can sometimes be hard to distinguish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bryan is no stranger to controversy, and to at least one LVC student, that controversy is hardly audible over his acoustic guitar and unpolished delivery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have heard a lot about him, but at the end of the day I like a few of his songs, and I enjoy singing along to them,\u201d Milosevic said.  \u201cI don\u2019t think about him or his actions when I am listening to his music.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Milosevic, like many, doesn\u2019t see an artist\u2019s beliefs as particularly relevant criteria in determining whether to hit the skip or replay button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also noted that while artists are free to express their views, most people do have a line on political issues that they will remember when listening. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can like their music and don\u2019t need to include who they are as a person when interpreting their lyrics,\u201d Milosevic said. \u201cAt the same time, if they are very vocal on their political views or partake in behaviors that are controversial, people are going to keep that in mind when listening to the lyrics of their songs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, Milosevic trusts people won\u2019t simply vote with their feet but their ears as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First-year nursing major Patrick Rose is quick to understand when artists make what he deems mistakes, including in the case of artists like Bryan, whom he occasionally listens to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI listen to music that relates to my life,\u201d Rose said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He believes lyrics are more prominent in reflective and sad music, a genre Bryan certainly has no shortage of songs in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While some students like Milosevic and Rose occasionally find themselves listening to Bryan\u2019s songs, for other students his music is the signature sound of their playlists. For a third-year clinical mental health counseling student, Kaylee Senglar, his music isn\u2019t an occasional catchy chorus or singalong, but a variety of songs with deep and personally meaningful lyrics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senglar, a self-described \u201chuge fan\u201d of Bryan, characterized his 2026 albums as refreshing and full of new energy. She cited \u201cSay Why,\u201d \u201cPoems and Closing Time,\u201d \u201cAll the Time,\u201d and \u201cLike Ida\u201d as her favorites by Bryan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bryan also begins his albums with spoken-word poetry that Senglar has found particularly impactful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senglar mentioned how Bryan, like all of us, has had his share of bad moments, but doesn\u2019t see mistakes as a reason to ruin her enjoyment of his music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m also good at separating people from the art or what they do,\u201d Senglar said. \u201cThere are a lot of friends, artists, and even family who I don\u2019t agree or see eye to eye with, but I still don\u2019t let that ruin the things I like them for. I genuinely just love his music, and his views or how he feels about certain things don\u2019t really affect the love of his art for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, after the release of his album \u201cYoung Manhood (and Other Donatable Organs)\u201d on Oct. 16, 2026, Matthew McConaughey interviewed him about the album, his new book, his recent marriage, and the life struggles he\u2019s faced surrounding alcohol use and his mom\u2019s passing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think he really has grown and gained new insights and perspectives on things, and that makes me really excited for him,\u201d Senglar said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second-year student and member of the physical therapy program, Harrison Kramer, sees Bryan as somewhat unique among country artists. \u201cHe really slows it down and puts you in how he is feeling in the song,\u201d Kramer said. \u201cYou can really connect with the lyrics more than others. Other country artists have more generic, upbeat songs, and he is more connected to the audience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kramer enjoyed Bryan\u2019s \u201cYoung Manhood (and Other Donatable Organs),<\/em>\u201d in particular the songs \u201cBackwards\u201d and \u201cLies,\u201d which featured Lana Del Rey. When describing what the perfect environment for Zach Bryan is, Kramer confidently asserted that it is being \u201caround a campfire with some friends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Bryan has had some trouble with the law, some college students are willing to drop the charge of controversy. While his actions may sound off-key to some, LVC students aren\u2019t prepared to let a few sour notes ruin the entire song.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Luke Macchione \u201928, staff writer Zach Bryan\u2019s recent album releases, \u201cYoung Manhood (and Other Donatable Organs)\u201d and \u201cWith Heaven on Top,\u201d have certainly struck a chord with some, but LVC students discuss whether his [...]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":17803,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,45,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-local-news","category-music","category-opinion"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17738","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17738"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17738\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17855,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17738\/revisions\/17855"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17803"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17738"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}