Zach Bryan wowed his audience in New Jersey with a performance of his yet-to-be-released track “Sandpaper” on a Friday evening, March 15.
In the final moments of his Newark Prudential Center concert, which featured 27 songs, the country music sensation gave his fans the first live taste of “Sandpaper,” a song he had previously hinted at on social media earlier in the year.
Back in January, Bryan shared a 45-second snippet of the still-in-progress “Sandpaper” played on an acoustic guitar. At his Quittin’ Time Tour event on that Friday, the 27-year-old singer-songwriter revealed the complete version of the song, now enhanced with synths, additional guitars, and backing vocals.
Zach Bryan serenaded his audience with the lyrics, “You’re like sandpaper,” a line thought to be about his girlfriend, Brianna LaPaglia, as suggested by Rolling Stone. He sings about her trying to smooth out his rough edges.
The New Jersey concert also showcased Bryan’s Grammy-winning collaboration with Kacey Musgraves, “I Remember Everything.” This track made a spectacular debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the date of September 9, 2023, marking the first Hot 100 No. 1 for both artists. It also premiered at the top of the Hot Country Songs chart, dominating for 20 weeks until February 2024.
The Quittin’ Time Tour kicked off with three performances at Chicago’s United Center from March 5-7. The tour then made its way across the United States, with stops in New York, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Missouri, Tennessee, among others. The tour’s lineup included opening acts such as Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, The War and Treaty, Sierra Ferrell, and Sheryl Crow.
In 2023, Billboard honored Zach Bryan as the Top New Artist, a significant achievement that saw him topping both the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart and the Hot 100 songs chart. Bryan is the first country artist to receive the Top New Artist title since Billboard started the category in 1977, which measures performance across the Billboard 200 and Hot 100.
Fans can catch a glimpse of Bryan’s “Sandpaper” performance in New Jersey through a video clip available online.