The biggest album of 2022 turns one today.
A year ago today, Zach Bryan dropped his long-anticipated debut studio album American Heartbreak, and it immediately shot to the top of the charts while propelling Zach to absolute superstar status.
The 34-song album introduced Zach to a whole new crowd of hardcore fans with hits like “Open the Gate,” “Cold Damn Vampires,” and of course his first radio single and biggest hit to date, “Something In the Orange.”
On the day of its release, American Heartbreak earned the most streams of any country album in 2022 on both Spotify and Apple Music. The album was just an absolute monster, and Zach’s star has only continued to rise in the year since it’s been released.
Zach took Instagram today to reflect on the one year anniversary of the life-changing project:
“Everyone’s asking for new songs lately, rightfully so, but the record that ruined and saved my life all at once turned one today.
Without this album I don’t know where I would have turned when I didn’t have anyone who understood.
Night time walks in New York and Jack shaking his collar all through electric lady.
Not to self-indulge too much, like reading an old journal, I’m going to roll down the highway with a buzz and drift off to sleep to this while these wheels take me to New Orleans.
Thank you American Heartbreak for being the words I always sought after and giving me the life people are proud of.
Thank you to everyone who listened to these songs I wrote in this last year, you have also changed my small town Oklahoman life into something stranger than fiction.
Good night, good riddance and God speed.
Music soon if I feel that it’s right. Happy Friday everyone, I love all of ya.”
It’s hard to think of another debut album from an artist that made them a superstar like American Heartbreak did for Zach. (Yes, I know it technically wasn’t his “debut” album, but it was his debut studio and major-label album).
Safe to say this one changed his life – and has changed lives for a bunch of fans in the year since it’s been released.