Zach Bryan is in the thick of his Quittin’ Time Tour, and it might the most falsely advertised tour of 2024 because Bryan does not know how to quit. The country star dropped The Great American Bar Scene on Thursday, July 4 (very on the nose, Zach), which is his third studio album release since May 2022. The LP is stuffed with 19 songs, including “Sandpaper” featuring Bruce Springsteen.
In late March, Springsteen surprised everyone and performed “Sandpaper” with Bryan during Bryan’s Quittin’ Time Tour show at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
“Winter was a drag / But spring was a friend / I’ll love you ’til the summer comes back again,” Bryan and Springsteen sing in the song about stubborn, undying love. Billboard‘s Melinda Newman pointed out that the “Sandpaper” beat is eerily similar to Springsteen’s 1984 song “I’m On Fire,” so now I can’t unhear that. Basically, “Sandpaper” is peak Americana.
Bryan’s The Great American Bar Scene also features John Mayer and John Moreland.
“This record tested the hell out of me, and I failed most days it did, but we finally made it,” Bryan wrote on Instagram. “I’m glad this chapter happened, but I’m more glad that it’s coming to an end. Happy Fourth of July to the best people in the world. How lucky are we?”
Listen to “Sandpaper” above.