> At a Glance
> – Zach Bryan released 25-track album With Heaven on Top on Jan. 9
> – Lyrics target ex Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia and praise new wife Samantha Leonard
> – Bryan also questions fatherhood and reflects on two months sober
> – Why it matters: Fans get unfiltered look at the country star’s tumultuous year
Zach Bryan isn’t holding back. On his sixth studio album, the 29-year-old Grammy winner dissects his public breakup, surprise marriage, and sobriety journey across 25 tracks dropped Friday.
Sharpened Words for an Ex
On “Skin,” Bryan vows to excise memories-literally:
> “I’m taking a blade to my own skin/And I ain’t ever touching yours again”
He questions an ex who “talk[s] s— on all of your friends,” a likely nod to LaPaglia, 26, who has his “28” lyrics inked on her arm. The pair split in October 2024; she later accused him of emotional abuse and claimed he offered $12 million and a house for her silence-allegations Bryan hasn’t publicly addressed.
“Plastic Cigarette” paints a meeting in Queens where he “didn’t believe the evil beneath some people”-a callback to the June 2023 concert where he and the podcaster first connected.
Ode to His New Bride
Leonard, 28, gets brighter treatment. “Runny Eggs” recounts booking a flight to Pamplona for a woman with “big old Spanish eyes”-the trip they took before marrying in Spain on New Year’s Eve.
In “Slicked Back” he celebrates:
- A partner who paints landscapes instead of posting life online
- Trash-talking charm with “hair slicked back”
- A wish to “bring my girl” to heaven or hell
“Camper” labels her his “California baby,” matching her home state.
Sobriety & Uncertain Future
On “Appetite” Bryan confronts expectations:
> “Everyone I know got older/Told my drunk ass to get sober, settle down and have some kids”
He questions fatherhood: “What if I don’t want children that grow up like their father?” The track follows his November announcement of two months’ sobriety after therapy for a “toxic relationship with booze.”
Key Takeaways
- 25 songs recorded in Tulsa chronicle love, loss, and self-reckoning
- Bryan’s world tour kicks off in St. Louis this March
- An acoustic version arrives three days after the original release
The album turns tabloid headlines into stripped-down confessionals, proving Bryan’s still willing to stir things up-only now stone-cold sober.
