Zac Brown Says It’s Your Fault You Can’t Understand his Artistry
You hate to keep coming back to this stupid topic of Zac Brown going off the rails with his two latest releases—The Zac Brown Band’s The Owl, and his solo album The Controversy. There’s just too much great music out there right now to keep harping on this subject. But once again Zac Brown is spouting off in the media, and drawing us offsides by compelling, and really necessitating responses to his pretty insulting and incendiary assertions. At this point Zac Brown is doing more harm than good for himself by trying to explain away the criticisms for the direction his career has taken. But he just doesn’t seem to have the capacity for self-awareness to know how to stop, which is the same underlying problem with his new music.
Fed up with the critics of his two new records, Zac Brown hooked up with the pop culture reporter for The Tennessean for an interview, and Zac preceded to go on a tirade about how unfair he’s being treated by his detractors.
“I would love for people to really listen and artistically understand my music,” he told the Nashville-based paper. “I realize it’s an impossibility … It’s a matter of what other people have been exposed to. If all they’ve known is to hate things that are foreign to them and to not listen for something that moves them and to be open, they’re (not going to understand). I think my traveling has given me the ability to be open and take in so many different things. All of those tastes combine into making me who I am. I’ll dive deep into someone’s music and … I’ll start to realize what’s really good about something.”
But what Zac Brown doesn’t seem to get is that the critics of his music are not just complaining because it’s not country and they aren’t cultured enough to understand it “artistically.” It’s that the music is just not good no matter what you call it, nor is it something you would regard as “artistic.”
Most country fans are music fans first. Many country fans like other types of music as well, including EDM and hip-hop, which Zac Brown’s latest records have ample elements of. But what they don’t like is bad music, no matter what genre it is. That is where Zac Brown is running afoul of people across the board, and not just country fans. And it’s patronizing to act like it’s the listener’s fault for not being open-minded or well-traveled enough to understand Zac Brown’s brilliance. It’s 2019. Everyone is exposes to everything.
“Gucci bag, stacks on stacks. Diamonds fill up the champagne glass. Veyron whip, G5 high. You have class that they just can’t buy,” The Zac Brown Band’s rap-tastic song “God Given” goes, done even one worse by the song “Swayze” off Zac’s solo album that uses the word “Bitch” 16 times. The new Tennessean article finds Zac addressing these two songs specifically, pleading his case of why the criticisms of these songs is unforunded, before running through virtually all the songs on the two new records, enumerating their virtues unchallenged.
“You can’t please everyone,” he says. “I go back to this speech that Teddy Roosevelt did called ‘Man in the Arena,’ and the first line reminds me to have the courage to make what I want to make as an artist. It’s not the critic who counts.”
Zac Brown later says about the song “Leaving Love Behind,” “There’s nothing that a country purist could hate about that song.” And he’s totally right. But it’s the very last song on Zac Brown Band’s record The Owl, and it was the one song Saving Country Music gave Zac Brown credit for in the review of the record. The truth is there’s a few quality songs on both The Owl and the solo record The Controversy.
But Zac Brown is missing the broader perspective of why critics are universally panning his efforts. It’s not just “purists.” It’s Zac Brown’s own fans. It’s outlets that usually work as the house organ for the industry such as Rolling Stone Country who doesn’t criticize anything except the political leanings of country artists. It’s critics like Grady Smith who regularly champions the best of today’s mainstream country music. And a couple of good songs will never, and should never make up for incredibly bad efforts like “God Given” or “Swayze.”
The reason critics criticize music is not to feel morally superior, or to blow off steam pent up from their own inadequacies—at least if it’s a critic who is worth their own salt. It is to offer perspective and guidance and opinion in a constructive manner to let artists know why people aren’t connecting with their music. Saying critics are unqualified because they’re not cultured enough is to misdiagnose why Zac Brown is facing so much criticism. But then again, it fits into the whole lack of self-awareness pattern we’ve seen from Zac lately.
At some point you stop being mad and frustrated at Zac Brown, and just feel bad for him. Clearly he is going through some personal issues. The one silver lining Zac Brown can look towards is that the sales of The Zac Brown Band’s new album The Owl have actually been curiously decent, despite all of the strong criticism, including from his established fan base. Perhaps some of the streams and sales are from people wanting to see what all the hand wringing is about, or rubber necking on a wreck. But Zac Brown is lucky this hasn’t become the absolute career bloodbath some critics and fans were predicting, at least not yet.
If Zac Brown truly wants to improve or be regarded artistically, he would be smart to listen to the artistic criticism that seems to have nearly universal consensus behind it. There’s rarely universal consensus behind anything these days, but there is consensus behind the opinion that Zac Brown’s music these days is just bad. Insulting his detractors as not being cultured enough just digs the hole Zac Brown is making for himself even deeper. If Zac was truly confident in what he’s doing, he would ignore his critics as opposed to constantly feeling like he needs to undercut their perspectives.
Or maybe I haven’t traveled enough to have a qualified opinion.
the pistolero
November 9, 2019 @ 10:18 am
I have been listening to a lot of Sabaton lately. Which, it could be argued, is ZB’s “something different.” Hearing songs about things like the Gallipoli campaign and the exploits of Larry Thorne make Zac’s latest product sound even worse.
Ricky
November 9, 2019 @ 10:54 pm
Nope its interpretation an artist’s prerogative
the pistolero
November 10, 2019 @ 9:39 pm
And this comment is proof that listening to shit music rots the brain.
Pierre Brunelle
November 13, 2019 @ 11:07 am
Hey Zac, you might call it art but calling it art does not make it great all the sudden. Otherwise, let’s exposed my 22-month old baby drawing to the Louvre and Hermitage and have people pay 50MM for his art.
Di Harris
November 9, 2019 @ 10:31 am
What an insolent, self-righteous prick.
Lots of a**holes ride in G5’s, etc., etc., etc., ad nauseum.
Truly wishing Mr. Zac finds peace at some point.
Sooner than later would be nice
albert
November 9, 2019 @ 10:35 am
here’s what i learned while i was busy living a life .
why it isn’t the 11th commandment I don’t know .
thou shalt not argue with artist or drunks …or an artist who IS a drunk or a drunk who THINKS he’s an artist .
perhaps the ‘artist’ zak has cut off his ear and can’t even HEAR his own music .
if the man says he’s an artist that should be good enough for everyone who agrees with him ….even if though he isn’t .
let’s stand bak and cut zak -in -the- hat some slak ‘bitches’ .
there are too many other zaks- WITHOUT-hats we need to avoid conversations with today
btw…my grampa likes EDM . shouldn’t that tell us all we need to know ?
Benny Lee
November 9, 2019 @ 10:46 am
Wow, Trigger, did you just put up 4 articles in less than 24 hours? Amazing.
ZB is now on my “ignore until Trigger writes another article about him” list.
Tyrone
November 9, 2019 @ 11:06 am
Well that’s kind of the thing, Zac. We DID listen for something that would move us and basically found nothing. I’m sorry if “when you see that OMW, believe I’m on my way yeah” doesn’t really speak to my soul.
Gosh this guy is so deeply in denial it’s sad.
ScottG
November 9, 2019 @ 11:27 am
Basically he’s bragging about how well traveled and courageous he is. Cool dude.
I’m no psychologist, but I believe confident and courageous people aren’t typically very defensive or boastful. Could be wrong.
You and Your White Claw
November 9, 2019 @ 11:40 am
Zac Brown wants attention. Zac Brown gets attention.
Matty
November 9, 2019 @ 11:41 am
He acts like the Antonio brown of country music or whatever genre he half heartedly tries to preform to stay relevant on America’s top 100
KC
November 9, 2019 @ 11:54 am
I’ve been listening to a lot of old Zac Brown Band (the live albums, The Foundation, You Get What You Give, etc) and I had forgotten how much I loved that group. They were my favorite band and I’ve chunked their body of work over their past four years of rubbish. From this day forward, I forgive Zac Brown. He obviously is suffering through and from something. I’m going to just pretend like anything post 2013 never happened with them.
63Guild
November 9, 2019 @ 3:06 pm
I wish 2013 Zac Brown could come forward and see how bad 2019 Zac Brown is and kick his ass
Brent Hirth
November 9, 2019 @ 12:25 pm
It’s a pretty big asshole interview. I’m simply so better you can never understand. Yeah, I get it. *control*alt*delete.
Trigger
November 9, 2019 @ 4:03 pm
I can’t comprehend how anyone would believe that interview would in any way help his public image and not just feed red meat to his critics. If you want an example of bad publicity, that was it.
PG
November 9, 2019 @ 12:48 pm
His music was always borderline cheese, he just had a nice voice and decent vibe there for a bit. He was never gonna be able to stay relevant all that long. The douche factor was always waiting to explode. The douche is strong in you, Luke.
albert
November 9, 2019 @ 1:18 pm
his material always lacked the polish/nuance of an experienced writer ….as does so much of today’s popular stuff . ZBB was only ever an also-ran mistaken for something seemingly offering much more ….. a balm for the burgeoning bro-blight which besieged the genre ….a musical hail-Mary .
or as PG says …..”borderline cheese ” ( …what canadians buy in blaine washington )
Ken Morton, Jr
November 10, 2019 @ 8:54 am
Where I disagree with you is that I would argue that there is hardly a band out there that can outplay ZBB when they’re live. The band’s musicianship is truly a marvel to watch perform and they have developed an incredible following based on those skills. That could (mostly) carry any songs that were marginal in person. What’s crazy is that these two albums stray from what makes them so special in the first place and replaces it with electronic sounds that make it also-ran.
Big Pete
November 9, 2019 @ 1:07 pm
What a fart-huffing, smug sack-of-s**t. He actually went with the “it’s not my fault your mind fails to appreciate my big-brain artistry” excuse, that all hipster artists parrots whenever their pretentious bulls**t falls flat with the audience . Zac Brown is officially the Yoko Ono of Country music. It is amusing tough, to watch a grown-ass man self-destruct because of his own ego.
albert
November 9, 2019 @ 1:24 pm
”It is amusing tough, to watch a grown-ass man self-destruct because of his own ego.”
no wonder he needs such a huge hat . it has to be to huge to house that holier-than thou ego.
i always thought that’s where he kept the rabbits .
but come to think of it …I’ve yet to see him pull one out of it ………
wayne
November 9, 2019 @ 2:00 pm
Next Zac will be telling us we don’t understand how to be a husband and father.
Runningbear
November 9, 2019 @ 8:03 pm
You comment on here way too much to be a good anything.
Tom
November 9, 2019 @ 2:03 pm
Well, his music does lead to a lot of people having a specific type of movement, thought I’m not sure that’s what he meant when he said “listen to something that moves them”.
Oh and Teddy Roosevelt would kick his ass with a bullet in his chest.
Troy
November 9, 2019 @ 2:14 pm
“If Zac Brown truly wants to improve or be regarded artistically, he would be smart to listen to the artistic criticism that seems to have nearly universal consensus behind it. There’s rarely universal consensus behind anything these days, but there is consensus behind the opinion that Zac Brown’s music these days is just bad. Insulting his detractors as not being cultured enough just digs the hole Zac Brown is making for himself even deeper.”
Thank you, Trigger. Once again, you hit the nail on the head. The reason why no one likes his solo record or “The Owl” is because they’re godawful & lack artistic merit and have no quality to them at all. Not to mention, his attitude had obnoxious, disrespectful to country fans & completely offputting during this album cycle. Maybe if he made an effort to make quality country music & adjust his nasty entitled attitude, no one would bash his “music.” Just some food for thought…
wayne
November 9, 2019 @ 3:19 pm
I think he is trying to be the male Marren Morris.
Trigger
November 9, 2019 @ 4:06 pm
If you can’t be good in music, be a victim. It’s worked out well for Maren. Zac Brown, not so much.
Rod Johnson
November 9, 2019 @ 4:24 pm
I’m all for an musician doing what they want artistically. I wouldn’t want to keep repeating myself musically either. Plenty of bands/solo musicians I listen to have changed. This Zac bag of dicks need to understand that the free of doing what he wants comes with criticism. Personally, I think new music and old music both suck. Sure, there is talent with him and his band but for the most part his music has always sucked.
Di Harris
November 9, 2019 @ 5:01 pm
Zac would do well to listen to critics.
Personally, i love being around people who KNOW MORE.
Had my ass thrown against the wall more times than i can count, by 3 Mt. Sinai, men, in Miami, while studying nuclear medicine, and Dr. Smoak, M.D. (redundant, i know), of nuc. med. fame. Let alone, Chief-of-Nuclear, Atul Shah, of Broward General, in Ft. Lauderdale, who on his resume, was able to list, MIG pilot, Indian Air Force (U.S. Allies) as one of his former jobs. Is this where i tell zac to shove his G5? 😇
Those critics prepared me so well, by constantly throwing my sorry ass against the wall, that i was able, by their training, and The Grace of God, to walk into a ranching hospital in the SouthWest, & give EVERY patient, the benefit of their vast knowledge.
Don’t understand zb artistically ….. wow, man
Hey Arnold
November 9, 2019 @ 5:08 pm
His Owl album is still doing really well in sales…. Over 100k physical sales… People are still buying it weeks later… Why?
Sunny
November 9, 2019 @ 9:56 pm
Ticket bundles
Hey Arnold
November 10, 2019 @ 7:58 am
Isn’t that only factored in first week sales?? Because each week since Sep 27th… They are receiving over 3k or more in physical sales which is huge.
Chris
November 9, 2019 @ 6:05 pm
My theory is it’s either stans buying multiple copies/downloads, or people buying it just to witness the man’s self-destruction first-hand, the same way some can’t stop looking at a gory car wreck.
Wesley Gray
November 9, 2019 @ 6:51 pm
“waaaaaaah! :'(”
jeeze. Zac has turned into such a bitch. i would laugh but i used to spend money on his music 10 years ago. gimmie back my cash.
Ron H
November 9, 2019 @ 9:42 pm
Taking yourself too seriously is usually fatal for the career of an “artist”.
Ray
November 9, 2019 @ 10:30 pm
I can’t help but wonder who is this guy’s manager? Does he not have people around to tell him to shut up and let the music speak for itself. I was a huge fan in the beginning. I have been to three shows on three different tours. The last one left me feeling that he had dialed it in. It wasn’t that I had a hard time with the new direction of his music, but the change in him as a relatable singer that I had liked since “Chicken Fried.” I also didn’t care for his “F-you” message at that CMT Award show. This guys has kids. There were kids in the audience. There were also people that had supported him through all of the shit (drugs in a hotel room, EDM music experiments) that didn’t need a reminder that he doesn’t care about people if they don’t love everything he does. Stop acting like you are chasing Shawn Mendes’ audience and get back to being a musician with a long-term goal.
Trigger
November 10, 2019 @ 9:49 am
Someone in the Zac Brown camp needs to get some guts and flip a table.
Di Harris
November 10, 2019 @ 10:35 am
Amen
Michael
November 10, 2019 @ 9:37 pm
Fuck off Trigger! You’re a pussy! Why aren’t you doing anything? So sick of sissy ass punks like you!
Trigger
November 10, 2019 @ 9:53 pm
Not gonna let you run up and down this comments section telling everyone to fuck off using multiple screen names.
Travis
November 11, 2019 @ 11:12 am
Someone was a little cranky yesterday. I hope you’re feeling better today.
dukeroberts
November 11, 2019 @ 11:17 am
Zac? Is that you???
Tyrone
November 15, 2019 @ 10:32 am
This comment exudes tiny dick energy
Sunny
November 10, 2019 @ 3:54 pm
Scooter Braun
Scott D Thomas
November 10, 2019 @ 4:56 am
I think the song about Patrick Swayze is the best thing zac brown has ever done
Anthony
November 10, 2019 @ 7:49 am
It seems that the split from family has left him struggling… It’s not the lack of culture, not inability to comprehend, our just being hateful. It is about music that moves the listener. I have seen more, done more, and yes even soldiered longer. That does not give advantage over anyone’s ability to understand me. Because in the end, if your music stopped reaching me, I will stop listening. Remember what got you here, that will keep you here.
Dobe Daddy
November 10, 2019 @ 8:05 am
Zac Brown is just mad that the guy named Brown who got a decent review from SCM this week was Kane Brown.
Johnny Stevens
November 10, 2019 @ 8:50 am
Zac Brown basically wrote the “Achey Breakey Heart of the new millennium. While his novelty song was, indeed, relentlessly catchy, it wasn’t exactly something that made me think I had to race out and buy every other silly attempt at bandwagon-jumping he made. There was little depth, and when he rerecorded radio station names like Froggyninety-whatever over the word “radio” in the song, its sincerity level dropped even further.
My question is, what record company would even ALLOW this silliness? I mean, as profit-minded as the record company is, they had to know this would go over like a fart in Sunday School with the vast majority of country fans, and only appeal to the Gen Z rugrats who think that Old Town Road has musical merit and ohmygodIjustfigureditout. The people in suits who greenlighted this garbage aren’t country fans, never were, and are a malignancy on music, pop culture, and art, itself. MC Chikky Chikky should have stuck with music, he’d have gotten far. Now, he won’t even be called to do Country’s Family Reunion when he’s 75 yrs old.
Oh, well.
Belinda
November 10, 2019 @ 9:30 am
I’ve been a fan of ZBB for over 10 years. Artists grow and their music should change. Spewing out the same garbage album after album is in my opinion a lack of talent and professional and personal growth. Their recent album may be different but it still moves me and many others. If you’ve ever been to their concerts, it is hands down one of the best shows you can spend your money on. Every show they all put their hearts and souls into. Haters gonna hate.
Pennin
November 10, 2019 @ 9:47 am
It totally moved me, too. Away. While there are a couple of songs I like, the majority of his new stuff is exactly what he spent years making fun of. Meaningless, repeating words that are better suited for bro-country. I’m hopeful he comes around, but find myself liking the solo projects of his band members far more than the crap he’s pumping out right now.
Mike
November 12, 2019 @ 3:57 pm
hAYtuHrs gUnnA haYt…
No. Actually, putting out crap like this after several quality albums is the opposite of professional growth. I could try to explain it, but I do not have the time or the crayons.
Pennin
November 10, 2019 @ 9:45 am
Early ZBB was like a really good, deep flavored bourbon. The recent ZBB replaced that amazing bourbon with window cleaner. It cracks me up that the bartender thinks if we don’t like it, it must be us…
Atomic Zombie Redneck
November 10, 2019 @ 10:51 am
It’s an argument that many artists use when their musical experiments aren’t well received; people don’t like it because they’re close minded. But as stated here, many music fans like multiple genres and are actually very open to experimentation. But bad music is bad music, and often the artists can’t see that because they’re so invested in their newest creation and only see it’s faults in hindsight.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
November 10, 2019 @ 11:42 am
I mean…
I call people stupid for not liking George Jones or Dolly Parton all the time.
People NOT liking music because they ARE dumbasses is generally pretty valid.
So is people who DO like music because they’re stupid.
But Zac Brown had one good song like a decade ago and has basically been trying to remind us all how great that one song was while he sinks further from relevance.
And for everyone wondering where I’ve been
Short and dirty, Mama TwoShirts passed away, and since she was the primary person in my life who turned on the Voice or even the mainstream radio, without her around I haven’t had an ear to the wire of Country Music proper lately, so I’m out of touch with what shitty new artists releases a song I hate and haven’t needed to be on SCM to vent as much,
I’m spinning only the stuff I like anymore, and in a sense my life is a lot more peaceful.
Fuzzy’s still around, but I’m not as starved for like-minded opinions so I haven’t felt the need to keep up on SCM.
dukeroberts
November 11, 2019 @ 11:21 am
I am very sorry to hear of your loss.
Ricee1
November 10, 2019 @ 1:16 pm
Zac Brown and his band are some of the most talented people you will ever hear. Zac dont to lower yourself to some of these so called artists levels you can do other songs other than country but any body can cuss and squeak you are too good for that. You need God in your life, and Shelley and your kids not these people who do not care about you after your Dad died and your divorce you changed and so did your life and attitude bring the old Zac back. There is no need to call women bitches come on . I have seen you guys 5 times I respect you wanting to do different music at times but dont be lose your self respect to act tough it is foolish. Good luck turning it around.
Seeberin.
November 10, 2019 @ 2:19 pm
No need for me to say I don’t understand the.WTF!!!. ZB band is freaking amazing azz hell. So many people act as if they know what it’s like to walk in another mans shoes.
sbach66
November 10, 2019 @ 3:14 pm
Apparently now we get ZB Stans on the site now.
Charles
November 15, 2019 @ 10:34 am
He’s never gonna sleep with you.
Kyle
November 10, 2019 @ 3:31 pm
I see a hat like that and I think Houston Marchman was singing about Zac Brown.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KTUNMwIBCs
Andrew
November 10, 2019 @ 4:04 pm
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen an album by a popular mainstream artist with an average review on iTunes as bad as the latest ZBB. Normally you get plenty those super fans who five star everything no matter how bad it is propping up the rating, but not on this one.
Woogeroo
November 10, 2019 @ 8:41 pm
this is what career suicide looks like folks, get out your popcorn.
Shaun
November 10, 2019 @ 9:24 pm
Scott G , I’m sorry for your loss and the complications you went through however don’t think that fame And fortune by the end all be all because they are not! You are a great guy and I consider you a friend and I wish the best for you!
Aggc
November 11, 2019 @ 3:27 pm
“… rap-tastic…”
LOL!!
HankThrilliams
November 14, 2019 @ 6:51 am
Fuck zac brown, and that goes back to stupid ass “chicken fried”. He has always sucked and he keeps getting worse and more irritating
CountryKnight
November 14, 2019 @ 9:19 am
“Natural Disaster” comes on my Spotify today.
How the hell did Zac go from that masterpiece to whatever crap he is tuning today?!
Curtis
November 14, 2019 @ 10:45 am
Insanely talented musician that has chosen to record insanely forgettable songs.
jay
November 20, 2019 @ 11:22 am
Cocaine is a hell of a drug.
CountryKnight
February 12, 2021 @ 12:22 pm
It is amazing how rapidly he fell apart.
John Werner
October 24, 2022 @ 1:45 pm
I can’t stand any of his music. It’s way too un-original, it’s been done far better before and more than once. Reading about the way he lives only adds to the overall dispisement of the irritating music.