Why Zach Bryan Struggles Accepting His Music Career

Zach Bryan was in the U.S. Navy when he first started putting out videos of himself singing on social media in 2019. Little did he realize that would help propel him towards a whole new career before long. In 2022, Bryan's song "Something in the Orange" from his album "American Heartbreak" put him on the road to country stardom. Bryan had planned on staying in the Navy before his music started to really get people's attention. Perhaps it was that sudden transition that explains why he's had a hard time really feeling confident in his music career.

For Rolling Stone's 2024 "Musicians on Musicians" series, Bryan sat down with Bruce Springsteen who asked the young artist about when he made the switch from the Navy to becoming a "serious songwriter." Bryan still didn't seem to think that he had, despite him being big enough to be having a conversation with a legend like Springsteen. "To this day I have really bad impostor syndrome," Bryan said. He explained that he doesn't see his own work as reaching the same caliber as other musicians that he's looked up to, so he can't see himself as being at the same level

Zach Bryan told Bruce Springsteen during the "Musicians on Musicians" conversations that he wasn't being self-effacing, he just still couldn't fathom thinking he was good enough. He said that he and his Navy buddies "would hear your songs, and they're beautiful and poetic and genius," Bryan said. "When I play, I'm like, 'There's no way people enjoy these like they would enjoy a [Bob] Dylan song or a Springsteen song or anything like that.'"

He may not have reached the level of longevity as Springsteen or Dylan; however, it seems like he's on the way. He has multiple records, and he's sold more than 10 million singles all before he reached 30. Bryan even had a sneaky cameo on the hit show "Yellowstone."

Despite (or perhaps because of?) all that success, he has hinted at having some hard times in his personal life. Bryan had a chaotic breakup with his girlfriend Brianna LaPaglia in October 2024, and he wrote about having some "severe" struggles in the Instagram Story in which he announced the split.