On January 9, 2026, popular country artist Zach Bryan released his new album, With Heaven On Top. Many of his fans awaited his new release, which was definitely worth it. Staggeringly, the album has a total of 24 songs and one poem and runs for an hour and 18 minutes total. As an avid Zach Bryan listener, here are my rankings of all of the tracks with a few comments sprinkled in!
#1 – “Down, Down Stream” – 8.5/10
This poem was really impressive! It is fairly long and his storytelling, tone changes, and dramatic pauses do an amazing job opening this album out. I love the calm, yet emotional words he uses and I really hope he continues adding poems into his albums!
#2 – “Runny Eggs” – 7/10
“Runny Eggs” is one of his most popular songs from this album. I enjoy it a lot and enjoy the relative;y slow pace and instrumentals. There are a few references from his last album, The Great American Bar Scene, but more so his faith. Overall this song is quite good, but not my favorite compared to his earlier releases and some songs on this track.
#3 – “Appetite” – 10/10
I really enjoy this song! The vibe is much more upbeat than “Runny Eggs” and the pace and lyrics show his struggles while continuing to grow in popularity and also as a person. This song is also very catchy and 100% in my top 3 for this album.
#4 – “DeAnn’s Denim” – 9/10
Wow. Anytime you see “DeAnn” in the title, you know the song will be amazing. His struggles in his relationship with his late mother is a common theme in a lot of songs Zach Bryan has written, but this song shows the growth and maturity realizing he doesn’t need to be someone he doesn’t want to be even though they are related. His personal growth definitely shines through in this song and it was really impressive to me.
#5 – “Say Why” – 9.5/10
“Say Why” is also a top song for me! It is really catchy and starts off pretty slow, but crescendos throughout the song. It is much more emotional than a lot of these new songs and I enjoy it. Zach Bryan is known for his emotional songs so although he is in a different stage in his life at this moment, he is still able to write a connective song.
#6 – “Drowning” – 6.5/10
Yessss! I really like this song as well! There are two voices singing along with him, one deeper and one higher, harmonizing with him, and it adds a really nice touch to this song. This song is quite vulnerable, and the lyrics are chef’s kiss.
#7 – “Santa Fe” – 7/10
This is such a different vibe for one of Zach Bryan’s songs, but I actually really like it! It is very upbeat, and the instrumentals in the background add a nice touch! This song will be absolutely perfect for roadtrips in the summer-time.
#8 – “Skin” – 6/10
I think this song has significant meaning behind it, but it is definitely not my favorite. This is probably slightly controversial due to his breakup with his previous girlfriend, but you never know! I don’t enjoy the pace or vibe of this song since it is very slow and just not something I can relate to.
#9 – “Dry Deserts” – 6.5/10
This song reminds me a lot of his album American Heartbreak! I like the flow a lot and his voice sounds really good in this song. It is not a top song for me, but I enjoy it! It is quite a basic song for him, so I don’t have much to say about it.
#10 – “Bad News” – 8/10
I like this song a lot as well. He sings about the topic of immigration which is very relevant in the US lately. His storytelling shines through really well and it’s very relatable seeing as a lot of people are sympathizing with the people and families going through such atrocities at this time. I like how he dedicated this entire song to this topic and isn’t afraid to publicize his opinions on it.
#11 – “South and Pine” – 5/10
I don’t hate it… but it is not anything special. I have no real comments on this song. I just think it isn’t super meaningful, and the pace is pretty slow.
#12 – “Cannonball” – 6/10
I also don’t have much to say about “Cannonball”. I think the more I listen to this song, the more I will like it, but I think it’s just fine. I like the ending and the repetition he uses, but other than that, I have no comments.
#13 – “Slicked Back” – 8/10
For me, I think “Slicked Back” is pretty good! The vibe is really nice, and it isn’t slow or fast. I think Zach’s contentment with his life shows through in this song, and I like it! It feels like it was written for his wife who he married recently, and I think it is really cute.
#14 – “Anyways” – 7/10
“Anyways” starts off pretty slow, but he picks up the pace early on in the song, and I think the contrast is nice to hear. I don’t feel connected to this song, but I still think it’s good!
#15 – “If They Come Lookin’” – 7/10
Zach’s voice sounds really nice in this song! I think it’s also quite basic and not very relatable for me, but I like the vibe, and his singing fits the instrumentals very well.
#16 – “River and Creeks” – 9.5/10
UGHHH! I LOVE this song. I really like his voice cracks and everything going on with his voice in this song. It is very different from what he normally does, and I think it suits him really well. He sort of sounds like Bruce Springsteen, and I think it’s cool seeing how much Zach has grown and changed as a writer after the many collaborations on his last album. This song is really high up on the list for me, and it reminds me of late summertime!
#17 – “Plastic Cigarette” – 9/10
AHH! This is also such an amazing song! I love how he continues his lyrics and the sound of his voice in this song is so nice. I really like the way he sings this song and how perfect it will be for summer. (Can you tell I miss summer?) I don’t even know how to describe why I like this song so much but you just need to listen to it and you’ll know what I mean.
#18 – “You Can Still Come Home” – 6.5/10
The emotion in Zach’s voice is so refreshing for this album. You can hear some pain in his voice which is something I really enjoy about him as an artist. It’s not particularly special, but it’s still nice and I enjoy listening to it!
#19 – “Aeroplane” – 4/10
This song is okay. I don’t see anything special about it, but I can see why someone else would like it.
#20 – “Always Willin’” – 6/10
I think this song is nice, but it’s not the best. I think the background music suits his voice well in this song and it’s just really calm. The way he said “two-piece suit” really scratches my brain so it gets extra points for that!
#21 – “Miles” – 7/10
“Miles” has a really unique sound, I really like it! I like the way he pronounces the words and connects them with each other. The repetition is also something I really like to see in his songs, and this one is no different!
#22 – “All Good Things Past” – 6.5/10
I kinda don’t see the hype with this song. I don’t hate it, I just see nothing special about it. I think it’s pretty relatable, but at the same time a little bit difficult to connect to.
#23 – “Camper” – 5/10
Vibey! I don’t love this song, I think it’s just fine. I like the pace and it sounds pretty nice, but that’s really all I noticed.
#24 – “Sundown Girls” – 6/10
At first, I dodn’t like this song, but after listening to it a few times, it has started to grow on me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not great, but I think I’d like it if I tried.
#25 – “With Heaven On Top’ – 7.5/10
Last but not least, “With Heaven On Top”! I think this song is also pretty mid and sounds very similar to a lot of the songs on this album, but I think it’s perfect being the last song on the track. It is a good summary of the whole thing and I would definitely like it more if I listened to it a few more times, but it is pretty good!
Overall, this album was not Zach Bryan’s best work, but there are a couple songs I really enjoy! I definitely recommend giving every song a chance and listening to the whole thing! I am super excited to see where he takes his character growth in his next releases!