I think Zach Bryan and Taylor Swift might be the duo we never knew we needed.
Of course, Taylor was a superstar in country back before she made the leap to go full-pop, and Zach is currently one of the biggest stars in the genre, as his debut studio album American Heartbreak continues to see monster streaming numbers and land on very solid spots on different Billboard charts.
But potentially most notably in the similarities between the two musicians is the fact that they both have massive, rabid fan bases that are as dedicated as they come.
And a TikTok video recently went viral, where a fan compared the intro to Zach’s song “Let You Down” to the intro of Taylor’s “Should’ve Said No,” and though they do use a couple different instruments, I can definitely hear the similarities.
“Let You Down” is a solo write by Zach, and was included on his 2020 Quiet, Heavy Dreams EP.
“Should’ve Said No” is a solo write by Taylor, which was the fifth single from her 2008 self-titled debut studio album, and peaked at #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It has since been certified Platinum, which means it has moved over 1 million units.
And funny enough, Zach actually recorded most of Americna Heartbreak at Electric Lady studios in New York City, where Taylor Swift recorded a portion of her 2019 album, Lover:
Honestly, even though Taylor is a mega pop star these days, I can see how their fan bases would have a lot of crossover. Some of the songs on Taylor’s 2020 Folklore album seem like they would probably fit in on a Zach Bryan playlist.
Love or hate either one of them, they’re both fantastic songwriters in their own right, and I’ve loved the good old fashioned country cheatin’ song “Should’ve Said No” since the young age of 13.
I really have no idea if Zach pulled any inspiration from a young, teenaged Taylor Swift for his song, but either way, I’m kinda here for it:
Naturally, the comparison has fans begging for a collab, and here’s just a sample of some of the comments under the video:
“Can we make a club of ppl whose top two artists are Zach and Taylor ??”
“I knew immediately and honestly I’m not mad lmao”
“You found the crossover group of huge fans of both. I’d say my two top artists”
“As a Zach Bryan fan I love it. As a Taylor swift fan I still know what you’re taking about”
“Literally everytime I hear these songs I think about the other”
“no because zach and taylor NEED to collab !!!!!!”
“Huge fan of both but I’m not even mad. Both are amazing artists.”
“Where my Zach Bryan lovin Swifties at?!”
“As a girl who loves tswift growing up and a Zach Bryan fan now I love it”
“so this explains why I like Zach Bryan so much”
“EVERY TIME I be like ‘I know Taylor is not on this playlist'”
“Okay but why is their writing style so similar? Like they have different messages but the writing….”
“i like to think he did it on purpose. swifte zach”
“‘Billy Stay’ by Zach Bryan is Taylor Swift level story telling and emotion. 10/10”
“i think they are the same type of artist lowkey”
But this comment right here… Zach, if you’re reading this, we need it:
“Can we get ‘Should’ve Said No’ – Zach’s version?”
And as far as how similar the introductions really sound, you can be the judge of that…
“Let You Down”
“Should’ve Said No”
