“Country Ain’t Dead!” Zach Top’s ‘Tonight Show’ Debut Ignites Frenzy—Fans Hail Him as Savior of the Genre

Top took the stage to perform his fast-rising hit, “I Never Lie.”

Zach Top; Photo by: Todd Owyoung/NBC

Fresh off his win for ACM New Male Artist of the Year, Zach Top made his way to the Big Apple to make his debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

The country star delivered a performance of his fast-rising hit, “I Never Lie,” captivating fans with his brand of traditional country alongside his touring band.

Viewers Praised His Performance

His performance drew praise from fans, who flocked to The Tonight Show’s YouTube to leave comments in support of the country singer.

Zach Top; Photo by: Todd Owyoung/NBC
One user wrote, “He’s the new hope for true country music” while another deemed Top “The man saving country music.”

It’s no surprise to see comments like this – Top has been praised for keeping real country music alive ever since he first stepped into the spotlight.

The Song Is Featured On Top’s Debut Album

“I Never Lie” is featured on the Washington native’s debut album, Cold Beer & Country Music. While the song quickly became a fan favorite during his live shows, Top admits he was a bit surprised by how strongly it resonated with audiences.

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“’I Never Lie,’ it’s kind of been the thing off the record that’s really poked its head up…It’s funny,” he previously shared with Nick Major on the Spout Podcast. “That’s either favorite or second favorite song on the record for me, but I wasn’t expecting that to be the one that would kind of take off and be the ‘hit,’ so to speak, off the thing.”

Top co-wrote the song with Carson Chamberlain and Tim Nichols. Their sharp, witty songwriting tells the story of a man who pretends to be unfazed by a recent breakup and his ex’s new relationship.

“I sleep like a baby/ I never show up late for work/ I don’t drink whiskey/ I don’t know how it feels to hurt/ Oh, and I ain’t been lonely since you said goodbye/ Wish I could say I miss you, but you know I never lie,” he sings on the chorus.

Zach Top; Photo by: Todd Owyoung/NBC

“It’s as country as anything on the album and a ballad,” Top pointed out. “So the fact that when we hit those first two little (*mimics guitar riffs*), people just lose it and stuff.”

ACM New Male Artist of the Year

Brooks & Dunn recently surprised Top with his first-ever ACM Award, delivering a special video message to the singer prior to his sold-out show in Wilmington, North Carolina last week.

Of the honor, Top shared: “I couldn’t be more honored, and I can’t say a big enough thank you to my fans for loving music and loving what we do on the road and listening to the songs every day. It means the world to me, I’ve always wanted to just play and sing for a living, and I get to do that now and it’s cool to be able to get a little trophy every now and then to let us know that we’re doing good doing it. So thank you so much, this is beautiful.”

Top has been added as a performer on the highly anticipated 60th ACM Awards. Hosted by Reba McEntire, the 60th ACM Awards will stream live exclusively for a global audience across 240+ countries and territories on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch. The event will take place Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, the world headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys.

The star-studded event will also feature performances by Alan Jackson, Blake Shelton, Brooks & Dunn, Chris Stapleton, Clint Black, Cody Johnson, Eric Church, Kelsea Ballerini, Lainey Wilson, LeAnn Rimes, Miranda Lambert, Rascal Flatts, and Wynonna Judd.