Zach Top, a 28-year-old country singer, recently shared his views on the current state of country music. In an interview with Rolling Stone, he discussed his latest song, “Good Girls & Cowgirls,” and highlighted why bluegrass music is gaining popularity once again.
Top expressed that modern country music has reached a level of perfection that detracts from its authenticity. He believes that the music industry, especially in the country genre, has focused too much on tuning and producing polished sounds. According to him, this has resulted in a loss of the music’s original soul.
From my perspective, it’s pretty parallel to the reason that my music is as popular as it is right now.
Bluegrass music, he argues, represents a more raw and genuine form of music. “There’s nothing covering you up,” Top mentioned, pointing to Tyler Childers and Zach Bryan as artists who also embrace a raw sound to great success.
He emphasized that in bluegrass, musicians must excel in their instruments and vocals. “You’re not trying to chase perfection,” Top said. “You’re trying to just play good music and put your heart and soul into it. People enjoy that.”
Top is recognized for playing traditional honky-tonk music and is seen as a catalyst for reviving traditional country music among younger audiences. He debuted on the country music scene with his first EP in 2022 and performed at the Grand Ole Opry that same year. His breakthrough came in 2024 with the album “Cold Beer & Country Music.”
In 2025, Top earned critical acclaim with his second album, “Ain’t In It for My Health,” and won both ACM New Male Artist of the Year and CMA New Artist of the Year. Speaking at the CMAs, Top shared light-heartedly about his celebration plans with his road crew and band.
His upcoming song, “Good Girls & Cowgirls,” is set for release on August 21, along with “Other Side of Hurtin’.” Although Top has yet to announce an official release date for his third album, he is optimistic about an April launch.
Describing his new track, he stated, It’s a goofy, fun song, the dichotomy between what you would call a ‘good girl’ and a little more the wild side of women.
Top expects it to be included in the new album planned for next spring.
Lori A. Bashian reports on entertainment news for Fox News Digital.