| 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 | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Cold Beer & Country Music | ||||
| ||||
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".
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]
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]
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]
"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]
| 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 | ||
| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums ( Billboard ) [16] | 99 |
| US Billboard 200 [10] | 72 |
| US Top Country Albums ( Billboard ) [9] | 14 |
| 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] |
High Valley is a Canadian country and bluegrass band originally from Blumenort, Alberta, a small community near the hamlet of La Crete. The group is composed of Brad Rempel and his supporting band, Dave Myers, Raymond Klassen (Dobro), Clint Milburn (guitar), and Andrew Hemmerling (drums). Brad Rempel's brother Bryan Rempel was a member until March 2014, while younger brother Curtis Rempel was a member until June 2021. All three brothers grew up in a Mennonite community and graduated from La Crete Public School.
Frank Robert Ballard IV is an American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist. He has released two albums each for Reprise Records and Warner Bros. Records, and has charted eight singles on the Hot Country Songs charts.
The George Strait albums discography consists of 31 studio albums, three live albums, and 11 compilation albums by American country music singer George Strait. Of these albums, 36 have received a certification of at least Gold from the Recording Industry Association of America, and five reached No.1 on the Billboard 200. His highest-certified album is the 1992 release Pure Country, which is certified sextuple-platinum for U.S. shipments of six million copies; his highest overall is the 1995 box set Strait Out of the Box, which is certified octuple platinum. Of his studio albums, all but George Strait (2000), Twang (2009), Here for a Good Time (2011), Love Is Everything (2013), and Cold Beer Conversation (2015) are certified platinum or higher. As of June 2014, he has sold 45 million albums in the US since 1991 when SoundScan started tracking album sales, and has amassed more top 10 albums than any other artist in that time.
Canaan Lee Smith is an American country music singer and songwriter signed with Round Here Records, an independent label started by Florida Georgia Line. He has released two albums, Bronco in 2015 and High Country Sound in 2021. His second single, "Love You Like That", was a Number One hit on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. He was also a reality television contestant on the 15th season of The Amazing Race.
American country music singer Luke Bryan has released eight studio albums, seven compilation albums, eight extended plays, and 34 singles.
Here's to the Good Times is the debut studio album by American country music duo Florida Georgia Line. It was released on December 4, 2012, by Republic Nashville. The album includes the five tracks from their It'z Just What We Do EP, along with six new songs. The deluxe edition, titled Here's to the Good Times… This Is How We Roll, was released on November 25, 2013. The album was the sixth best-selling album of 2013 in the United States, and became certified two-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on July 1, 2014.
American country music singer Scotty McCreery has released six studio albums, two compilation albums, two extended plays, ten singles, and ten music videos. McCreery rose to fame after winning the tenth season of American Idol in 2011.
"Cold One" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Eric Church. It was released in June 2014 as the third single from his 2014 album The Outsiders. The song was written by Church, Luke Hutton and Jeff Hyde.
A Thousand Horses is an American country music band formed in 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. The band is composed of Michael Hobby, Bill Satcher, and Graham Deloach ; Zach Brown was also a member until leaving in 2023. Their first EP, A Thousand Horses, was released under Interscope Records in 2010. In 2014, the band signed with Republic Nashville of Big Machine Label Group and released its first single "Smoke", which set a record for the highest debut by a new act when it opened at number 28 on the Country Aircheck radio chart.
Meredith Cody Jinks is an American outlaw country music singer and songwriter. His breakout 2016 album, I'm Not the Devil, reached No. 4 on the Billboard Country Albums chart, while a number of other albums such as Lifers, After the Fire, and The Wanting reached No. 2 on the same chart.
Meat and Candy is the debut studio album by American country music band Old Dominion. It was released on November 6, 2015 by RCA Nashville. The album includes the single "Break Up with Him", which has charted No. 1 on Country Airplay. The album's second single, "Snapback" released to country radio on January 11, 2016. The album's third single, "Song for Another Time" released to country radio on June 20, 2016.
"She's Got a Way with Words" is a song recorded by American country music artist Blake Shelton for his tenth studio album If I'm Honest (2016) and would be used for Shelton's other album Fully Loaded: God's Country (2019). Released to radio as the album's third single on June 13, 2016, the track was written by Wyatt Earp, Andy Albert and Marc Beeson, while production was handled by Scott Hendricks.
The discography of American country music artist Carly Pearce consists of four studio albums, one live album, one extended play, nine singles, 14 promotional singles, nine music videos and 18 album appearances. Before being signed to a recording contract, Pearce contributed her vocals to several albums of bluegrass music in the 2000s. In 2016, she collaborated with the Josh Abbott Band on the single "Wasn't That Drunk". It reached number 37 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart the same year.
American singer Kane Brown has released three studio albums, three extended plays, twenty singles, and twenty-three music videos.
American country music singer Jon Pardi has released five studio albums, two extended plays, and fourteen singles, including two as a featured artist. He debuted in 2012 with "Missin' You Crazy", a song which charted within the top 30 of Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay. He would go on to release three more singles from what would become his debut album Write You a Song.
American country pop duo Dan + Shay have released six studio albums and 16 singles. They have achieved nine top ten hits on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, including eight number one songs. Since the release of "Tequila" in 2018, they have experienced crossover success, placing three singles, including "Tequila", in the top ten of the Adult Pop Songs chart in addition to their success in the country genre.
Center Point Road is the fourth studio album by American country music singer Thomas Rhett, released on May 31, 2019, through Big Machine Label Group imprint Valory Music Co. It was supported by the lead single "Look What God Gave Her". Rhett co-wrote and co-produced all 16 tracks on the album, sharing production duties with Dann Huff, Jesse Frasure, Julian Bunetta, The Stereotypes, and Cleve Wilson. The album also features collaborations with Little Big Town, Jon Pardi, and Kelsea Ballerini. The album received a nomination for Best Country Album at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2020.
Zachary Dirk Top is an American country music / bluegrass music singer-songwriter from Sunnyside, Washington signed to Leo33.
"Sounds Like the Radio" is a song by American country music singer Zach Top. It was released on January 8, 2024, as his debut single to country radio. It served as the lead single to Top's second studio album, Cold Beer & Country Music. Top co-wrote the song with Carson Chamberlain and Wyatt McCubbin, with Chamberlain also producing it.
Leo33 is an independent record label founded in 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee.