Five Years Ago Today, Zach Bryan Released His Debut Album ‘DeAnn’

The album that started it all. On this date in 2019, a then-viral sensation named Zach Bryan released DeAnn , his debut record that included fan-favorite, virally popular singles like "Condemned" and "God Speed," which ultimately peaked at #6 on the U.S. Billboard Folk chart. Of course, this was on the heels of him having success online with grainy videos playing songs like "Heading South" and the aforementioned "God Speed." The incredible thing though is that the success of the album was entirely organic, with literally no help whatsoever in terms of promotion. Zach wasn't signed to a label or a team in Nashville: In fact, he was still an active duty member of the US Navy at the time. Like most of what he does, the album was raw, unpolished, and honest, which in my opinion, is why is resonated so deeply with people all over the world. It was a personal and meaningful project for Bryan, named after his late mother DeAnn Bryan, one of Zach’s biggest influences who sadly passed away in 2016. The title track pretty much says it all in terms of how much she meant to him and what a massive loss it was in his life when she passed away. DeAnn was recorded at an AirBnB in Jacksonville, FL, where Zach was stationed in the Navy, following in the footsteps of his father and other family members before him. With mattresses lining the wells to improve the sound, the album was produced by his boss Leo Alba and featured the help of his friends. The result was raw, relatable, and real. And it clearly resonated, to put it mildly. Of course, Zach has released quite a bit of music since then, polishing his sound while still keeping that raw feel that drew fans to him in the first place. After releasing Elisabeth as an independent artist in 2020, Zach went on to sign a deal with Warner Records and release his major-label debut album American Heartbreak in 2022. He then followed that up with his self-titled album last year, featuring names like Kacey Musgraves, The Lumineers, The War & Treaty and Sierra Ferrell, and also collaborated with Noah Kahan and Bon Iver on his Boys of Faith EP in 2023. And most recently, Zach dropped his latest album The Great American Bar Scene last month, continuing his trend of releasing music at a rapid clip. Of course fans can't get enough, and since the release of that debut album just five years ago, Zach has gone from playing on his truck bed in YouTube videos to selling out bars and clubs, to now having his own massive stadium tour and headlining festivals all around the country. Just an absolutely meteoric rise in just five years. It's hard to say anything about Zach or his rapid rise to success and fame that hasn't already been said a hundred different ways, but when you reflect on DeAnn and all of the great songs on the tracklist, it's pretty easy to understand why it's all unfolded the way it has. You don't come by an album so genuinely real and authentic to who an artist, or really a person, is very often, and his introspective writing and storytelling captures every emotion and thought so beautifully in these songs that it seems pretty impossible not to love. Turn 'em up... "God Speed" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Abngf0FgD5M "Condemned" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhuoyEQYyx8 "Sweet DeAnn" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCZZnl-wOQw "Moon in Oklahoma"