Zach Bryan's With Heaven on Top Addresses Ex, New Wife and Sobriety

People reports that Zach Bryan released his sixth studio album With Heaven on Top on Jan. 9, a 25-song record that appears to address his relationships with ex Brianna 'Chickenfry' LaPaglia, his new wife Samantha Leonard and his recent sobriety. On the song 'Skin' Bryan takes aim at an ex, singing 'I'm taking a blade to my own skin/And I ain't ever touching yours again' and questioning, 'Do you still talk s--- on all of your friends?/Need to take it all to the chin this time stone-cold sober.' The outlet says the track is likely a reference to LaPaglia, from whom Bryan announced his split in October 2024; LaPaglia has the lyrics from Bryan's song '28' tattooed on her arm and later accused him of emotional abuse, saying he offered $12 million and a house to keep quiet.

Bryan has not addressed those claims directly, though he appears to reference meeting someone 'evil' in Queens on 'Plastic Cigarette' and nods to Leonard on 'Slicked Back' with lines including 'You're so cool in my living room' and other lyrics celebrating his new wife. Beyond romances, the album probes sobriety and fatherhood: on 'Appetite' he sings about being urged to 'get sober, settle down and have some kids' and wonders 'What if I don't want children that grow up like their father.' Bryan announced in November that he was two months sober after working through a 'toxic relationship with booze' with a therapist.

The title track also briefly references a 2023 run-in with the law.

Key Topics

Culture, Zach Bryan, Brianna Lapaglia, Samantha Leonard, Skin, Plastic Cigarette