Background and composition
Following the success of his debut album Cold Beer & Country Music , Zach Top began teasing new material during his live performances while wrapping up production on his new record. [1] During a Q&A session at the 2025 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Top confirmed that the album was near complete and in the final mixing stages, with a release scheduled for later that year. [2]
"Good Times & Tan Lines" was introduced to fans during a string of acoustic VIP performances in Mississippi, where Top described the track as a "goofy little summertime song." [2] Despite its playful tone, the song maintains his signature '90s country influence and draws comparisons to Alan Jackson's "Chattahoochee" for its nostalgic depiction of summer life. [3]
Musically, the song features upbeat instrumentation and lyrics that celebrate youthful leisure, with imagery of beer, waterholes, rope swings, and carefree nights. [2] The chorus encapsulates its feel-good, backroads energy "Talkin' about good times and tan lines / Cold beer and summer nights / That all there was to life..." [2]
The song was written by Top alongside his producer Carson Chamberlain and Wyatt McCubbin, who wrote "There's the Sun" and "Sounds Like the Radio" on Top's first album, Cold Beer & Country Music . [4] It was officially released on June 9, 2025. [5] The release was surprise-released immediately after Top performed the song on the main stage of Nissan Stadium during his CMA Fest debut in early June 2025. [5] [3]
Reception
After the album's live debut, the song was met with enthusiasm from fans across social media, with many praising its traditional country roots and singalong appeal. [2] Clips of the shows in Oxford and Starkville circulated widely, with listeners calling it "real country music" and expressing excitement for its official release. [2]
The song was named by Jessica Nicholson of Billboard as one of five "must-hear new country songs" alongside songs by Hailey Whitters and Old Dominion. [6] Nicholson added that it was "strongly Alan Jackson-coded." [6]
This page is based on this
Wikipedia article Text is available under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
