Zach Bryan Teases Wistful New Song After Brianna Chickenfry Split

Fans might not have to wait long to hear music inspired by Zach Bryan‘s split from Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia.

Bryan, 28, took to Instagram on Tuesday, October 22, to share a snippet from a yet-to-be-released song with a melancholy tone.

“Recall when we went to Rockaway Beach / Summer heat in eastern Queens / And a subway ride,” he sang in the video.

The clip came shortly after Bryan announced his split from LaPaglia, 25, via his Instagram Story.

“Brianna and me have broken up with each other and I respect and love her with every ounce of my heart. She has loved me unconditionally for a very long time and for that I’ll always thank her,” the country singer wrote on Tuesday. “I’ve had an incredibly hard year personally and struggled through some pretty severe things. I thought it would be beneficial for both of us to go out different ways. I am not perfect and never will be.”

LaPaglia released a statement of her own soon after, claiming she was “feeling really blindsided” and would be stepping away from social media “to heal privately.” She told her followers she would be “back and ready to talk” in time.

“I love you guys so much thank you for all of your kind words,” she continued. “Remember you are so loved and everything’s always gonna be OK.”

Later that day, LaPaglia elaborated on the breakup in an emotional YouTube video, saying, “I’ve been crying for, like, five days straight. I’m at the point where it’s, like, how can you give someone everything and, like, love them so unconditionally through stuff that you shouldn’t?”

LaPaglia reiterated that she hoped to “heal privately” despite the high-profile split. “I’m just obviously really, really hurt right now,” she added.

The former couple initially crossed paths at the 2023 Academy of Country Music Awards, one month before LaPaglia made a surprise appearance on stage at one of Bryan’s New York City concerts in June 2023. LaPaglia confirmed she was dating Bryan on a July 2023 episode of her “PlanBri Uncut” podcast, and they made their red carpet debut as a couple at the Grammys in February.

Bryan has not addressed the breakup further, but a source exclusively told Us Weekly on Tuesday that LaPaglia was “deeply upset” by what transpired. “[Brianna] was blindsided by Zach being on dating apps and dating around while they had been in a committed relationship,” the insider added. “Someone sent her Zach’s Raya profile and girls were reaching out about him dating around.”

The source continued, “They had just moved in together in the Spring, and she changed her whole life to accommodate his. She’s devastated. He has denied all the allegations but still agreed they should split.”