Freshman Tyler Knox is currently listening to “East Side of Sorrow” by Zach Bryan.
“He really touches me in the heart,” Knox said. “His song has a deep meaning behind it.”
“East Side of Sorrow” is a country/folk song with a melancholy, yet hopeful tone. It explores how Bryan grapples with grief as he movingly talks about the experience of someone close to him passing away and finding faith in God. The song starts with a sparse, ballad-like opening, which is then interrupted by an energizing, driving beat halfway through.
As he mentions it in the song, Bryan was in the Navy and was honorably discharged in November 2021 after eight years of service. He then started pursuing his music career. Bryan was born in Okinawa, Japan, but grew up in Oologah, Oklahoma. He is currently on tour for his album, “The Great American Bar Scene.”
“It means a lot to me really because I’ve been through a couple of heartbreaks in my life,” Knox said. ”I guess [Zach Bryan and I] really relate, because a lot of things he says, I agree with.”
The song that made Zach Bryan well known was his single he released in 2022, “Something in the Orange”. So far, Bryan has been recognized with an Academy of Country Music Award for New Male Artist of the Year and four Billboard Music Awards.
You can listen to “East Side of Sorrow” on all music streaming platforms.