Tracy Lawrence Opens Up About The Resurgence Of ’90s Country And Reacts To Zach Top Comparisons [Exclusive]

Tracy Lawrence’s legacy as a country music icon began in the early ‘90s when the genre was at its peak. Since then, he has seen the industry undergo some major shifts, including the resurgence of classic country songs from his era, which Lawrence is more than happy to help introduce to the new generation of music lovers.

The growing excitement surrounding the nostalgic sounds of George Strait, Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, Brooks & Dunn and more has allowed Lawrence to reach into his early catalog and showcase songs that still resonate strongly with fans to this day. 

“It’s great. It seems like there’s been such a resurgence of the ‘90s music and I know there’s quite a few acts that are reaping the benefits of it,” Lawrence told Country Now. “I feel like we’ve been very blessed to have a huge resurgence with all of my old back catalog. It’s always amazing to me to see a lot of the younger generation that really know all the words to all these old songs from a time probably before most of them weren’t even born. That’s pretty cool to see.”

Drawing Comparisons Between Him And Zach Top

Just as the “Paint Me A Birmingham” singer mentioned, there are several emerging artists who are building their careers with new music that closely resembles that of ‘90s country. This includes Sunnyside, Washington native, Zach Top, who has recently been compared to Tracy Lawrence, both sonically and with his fashion sense that includes bold-patterned button-up shirts, blue jeans and a classic cowboy hat. 

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Lawrence recently brought further attention to the close resemblance when he shared side-by-side photos of him in his early days and Top from a recent live show. 

“He’s so talented. I think it’s awesome,” Lawrence said of the comparisons to Top. “I write with Carson Chamberlain that produced Zach’s project. Carson and I’ve been friends for a long time, and the moment that I heard him sing, it was like, okay, I hear Ricky Skaggs I hear Keith Whitley, I hear Daryle Singletary, like all three of them at the same time. Just such a pure traditional country voice. Great skill set, great chops, and a fantastic musician too.”

Why The Resurgence Of Traditional Country Music?

While taking notice of all the new artists like Top who are following in his footsteps, Lawrence got to thinking about why the traditional stuff is making such a come comeback. He settled on the simple idea that the older generation of country music just brings comfort and familiarity to the present day. 

“I really think that we’ve been through such turbulent times with the economy and there’s so much division with our political parties, there’s so much friction, just instability in the country and I think people find comfort in the music from the ‘90s and ‘80s, in that earlier era,” he explained. “You know, the songs were very well written, had great hook lines and great melodies and I think people love that comfortableness that they’re getting from that old music. And I think that, in turn, leads to them gravitating to younger artists that are trying to bring that sound back. I think it’s just a great time for country music.”

Our conversation with Tracy Lawrence took place just a few hours before he took the stage of Chicago’s Wrigley Field as an opener on Luke Bryan’s Mind of a Country Boy Tour. 

In addition to his current run with Bryan, the Texas native also recently toured with Riley Green and is gearing up to hear to Las Vegas on December 14 to perform as a special guest on Lainey Wilson’s Wildflowers and Wild Horses tour stop. 

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Lawrence Says He Always Knew Lainey Wilson Would Make It

This won’t be the first time the pair have spent time on the road together. They first toured together in 2020 during Lawrence’s co-headlining trek with Justin Moore. He explained that Wilson was serving as their opener and performing by herself with just an acoustic guitar. He knew from that moment that she was going to go far in the business. 

 “I told her then, we talked quite a bit, and (I said) this is going to happen for you,” shared Lawrence. “I’m sure she’s got a lot more production than she did in 2020. It’s come a long way for her.”

“It’s been amazing to watch and I’m just so proud for her. She’s one of the good ones. I mean, she’s talented. She’s a good human being. She’s, she’s just, I just think so much of her. I’m very proud for all the success she’s had.”

Tracy Lawrence will continue bringing his iconic classic country sound to fans across the country while also showcasing tracks off his new EP, Out Here In It.