Zach Bryan took aim at Walker Hayes‘ “Fancy Like” with a message on X (formerly Twitter) meant to celebrate a different singer-songwriter. Then, he spent an hour explaining why.
A few hours later, Hayes responded.
- Bryan’s duet with Kacey Musgraves (“I Remember Everything”) is No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart.
- Like “Something in the Orange,” this song has been a sales and streaming leader, but radio has been slow to play it. It sits at No. 28 on Monday’s Country Airplay chart.
- A conversation about what radio plays was born out of a tweet about “In Your Love” singer Tyler Childers (No. 28 HCS, No. 50 CA).
Related: Zach Bryan Announces Massive 2024 Tour
“Imagine being radio (whoever the hell that is), hearing Shake the Frost and being like, ‘no no let’s go with the Applebees song,'” Bryan tweeted.
“Shake the Frost” is a Childers’ song from 2013, released on the Live on the Red Barn Radio album. “Fancy Like” — which includes a reference to Applebee’s — was released in summer 2021.
Within 30 minutes of posting that message, Bryan began to take heat.
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“Not insulting anyone,” he responded to feedback that he had done Walker “dirty.” “Meant it with humor not malice, different strokes different folks.”
Bryan would explain that he was just upset that it took Childers — whom he calls one of the best songwriters to ever do it — 10 years to crack country radio. Overnight he sent a few more missives about life and music and praised “The Wolves,” a song by another bluegrass-tinged Americana band, Watchhouse (formerly Mandolin Orange).
About six hours after Bryan sent his Tuesday morning message, Hayes responded.
“Big shout to radio for playing dat Applebees song,” he writes. “Zach and Tyler praying y’alls continued success.”
Watch: Walker Hayes Admits His Bucket List Could Get Him Arrested
attachment-zach bryan walker hayes exchange
In March, Bryan will begin his Quittin Time Tour in Chicago. He dropped a self-titled album in August.
Hayes recently released a Christmas version of “Fancy Like.” His last album was Country Stuff the Album in Jan. 2022, and he has not announced major tour plans for 2024.
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