Cold Beer & Country Music
| Cold Beer & Country Music | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 5, 2024 | |||
| Genre | Neotraditional country | |||
| Length | 40:02 | |||
| Label | Leo33 | |||
| Producer | Carson Chamberlain | |||
| Zach Top chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Cold Beer & Country Music | ||||
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Cold Beer & Country Music is the debut studio album by American country music singer Zach Top. It was released on April 5, 2024, via Leo33.[1] It includes the singles "Sounds Like the Radio" and "I Never Lie".
Content
[edit]In September 2023, it was announced that he was signed as the flagship artist for the newly-formed independent record label Leo33.[2] Cold Beer & Country Music marks Top's first release under the label, and his first marketed as country music, following years of recording as a bluegrass performer.[3]
Top co-wrote all of the album's 12 tracks with Carson Chamberlain, who also solely produced the album.[4] Top began a working relationship with Chamberlain in 2019, regularly flying to Nashville on a monthly basis to write songs with him and others, including Wyatt McCubbin, Roger Springer, Paul Overstreet, Michael White, Mark Nesler, and Tim Nichols.[4][3] After five years of songwriting, they put together a cohesive project, with Top saying: "It's just fun to get these songs to finally see the light of day and let people hear what I've been working on for a while. You only get one chance to make that first impression and we wanted to get it right".[5]
Top named the title track, "There's the Sun", and "Cowboys Like Me Do" as some of his favorite songs on the record in an interview with Billboard.[3] In another with American Songwriter, he also cited "Use Me".[5]
Critical reception
[edit]In a review for Holler, Soda Canter described the album as finding "Top soaring through an array of diverse and intriguing song selections. It's material that triumphantly succeeds in representing his rural Washington upbringing and natural sentimentality, while propelling his exceptional artistic range front and center", and gave the album a 9.5 out of 10 ranking.[1] Will Chapman of Country Central called the album "a masterclass in traditional country music", praising Top's vocals, the neo-traditional production choices, and the diversity of material from slow jams to honkytonk rockers.[6] Roughstock writer Matt Bjorke praised the singer for his genuine approach to 90s country music and favorably compared him to the likes of Randy Travis, Keith Whitley, and Joe Diffie, citing his background in bluegrass music and unique vocal phrasing as elements that make him a standout in the modern country genre.[7]
Chart performance
[edit]Cold Beer & Country Music debuted at number 49 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart dated August 3, 2024.[8] It has since reached a peak of number 14 on the chart,[9] and reached number 72 on the all-genre Billboard 200.[10]
Singles
[edit]"Sounds Like the Radio" was released as Top's debut single to country radio on January 8, 2024, and served as the album's lead single.[11] It became his first top 20 hit on the Billboard Country Airplay chart in November 2024, reaching a peak of number 15.[12] While "Radio" was charting, "I Never Lie" went viral on social media platform TikTok,[13] which led to it being released as the album's second single.[14] It became Top's first entry on the Billboard Hot 100.[15]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sounds Like the Radio" |
| 3:38 |
| 2. | "Cold Beer & Country Music" |
| 3:06 |
| 3. | "Cowboys Like Me Do" |
| 2:58 |
| 4. | "There's the Sun" |
| 3:25 |
| 5. | "Dirt Turns to Gold" |
| 3:10 |
| 6. | "The Kinda Woman I Like" |
| 2:38 |
| 7. | "Lonely for Long" |
| 3:36 |
| 8. | "Bad Luck" |
| 3:19 |
| 9. | "Use Me" |
| 3:56 |
| 10. | "Ain't That a Heartbreak" |
| 3:26 |
| 11. | "I Never Lie" |
| 3:44 |
| 12. | "Things to Do" |
| 3:00 |
| Total length: | 40:02 | ||
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[16] | 99 |
| US Billboard 200[10] | 56 |
| US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[9] | 14 |
Accolades
[edit]| Publication | Rank | List |
|---|---|---|
| Billboard | 7 | The 10 Best Country Albums of 2024[17] |
| Holler | 1 | The 25 Best Country Albums of 2024[18] |
| Rolling Stone | 13 | The 30 Best Country Albums of 2024[19] |
| Taste of Country | 10 | The 10 Best Country Albums of 2024[20] |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Soda Canter (April 4, 2024). "Zach Top – Cold Beer & Country Music Review and Tracklist". Holler. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
- ^ LB Cantrell (September 6, 2023). "Leo33 Signs Flagship Artist Zach Top". Music Row. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
- ^ a b c Jessica Nicholson (February 9, 2024). "Zach Top Garners Industry Buzz by Spearheading a '90s Country Throwback". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
- ^ a b Lorie Hollabaugh (January 9, 2024). "Zach Top's Debut Album 'Cold Beer & Country Music' On Tap For April". Music Row. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
- ^ a b Clayton Edwards (April 5, 2024). "Exclusive: Zach Top Discusses 'Cold Beer and Country Music,' His Timeless Sound, Songwriting, and More". American Songwriter. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
- ^ Will Chapman (April 7, 2024). "Zach Top, "Cold Beer & Country Music" – Album Review". Country Central. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
- ^ Matt Bjorke (April 10, 2024). "Album Review: Zach Top - "Cold Beer & Country Music"". Roughstock. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for August 3, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
- ^ a b "Top Country Albums: Week of October 19, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
- ^ a b "Billboard 200: Week of December 7, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
- ^ "Country Aircheck Weekly January 7, 2024, Issue 891". Country Aircheck. January 8, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
- ^ "Billboard Country Update" (PDF). Billboard. November 8, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
- ^ "Zach Top Performs Viral Hit 'I Never Lie' During Holler Nashville Session Presented by George Dickel | Holler". holler.country. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
- ^ "Billboard Country Update" (PDF). Billboard. November 25, 2024. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100: Week of September 28, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
- ^ "Billboard Canadian Albums: Week of November 16, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
- ^ "Staff Picks: 10 Best Country Albums of 2024". Billboard. December 10, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
- ^ Ross Jones (December 5, 2024). "The Best Country Music Albums of 2024". Holler. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
- ^ "Best Country Albums of 2024". Rolling Stone. December 11, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
- ^ Carena Liptak (December 4, 2024). "The 10 Best Country Albums of 2024". Taste of Country. Retrieved December 12, 2024.