I am so grateful for the written word. 

There is something so remarkably special about any art form that begins as a collection of ideas on a page. Whether that idea manifests as a book, poem, film, play, speech, sermon, essay or article like this, good writing gets at the very lifeblood of the human experience and quite literally can change lives. My own life is defined so deeply by the art of writing, and it would take an entire book to explain how.

Writing is, of course, a massive element of music as well. Music also benefits from using sound to elicit emotion, so songs can be the most thematically rich medium through which to convey our thoughts.

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Yet, an overwhelming majority of popular songs seem to push five themes: romance, sex, wealth, violence and substance use. Even many songs I thought to be “different than the norm” are typically just different in tone, not subject matter. 

Look, I won’t write a lecture on what everyone should listen to. While my Christian faith compels me to avoid rumination on sensualism, I am not going to pretend that songs on these topics don’t have value, aren’t ever well written or can’t win me over. 

But I am going to push back on our fascination with these topics simply because I believe there is so much more to life. 

If authors, screenwriters, poets and playwrights seem to so easily cover a profound depth and breadth of the human experience, why do so many songwriters seem to be stuck in the shallow end? 

That is not a question I am going to answer in this column, by the way. I am not even going to be negative for any longer than the end of this paragraph. Trust that I let out one more sigh for dramatic effect, but now it’s time to change my tune (pun intended). 

Because in all honesty, though it may be less common, there is so much songwriting out there that I feel a deep affinity for. 

I can’t start this discussion with anyone other than Zach Bryan. 

In the span of one summer, Bryan easily became my favorite solo artist of all time. Some of that is because of how his music sounds; I believe Bryan’s vocal and instrumental creativity is unmatched in the country music space. But it’s his beautiful storytelling that truly won me over. 

“Highway Boys” was probably the first song of his that struck a nerve with me, because it is such a deeply nuanced track about Bryan’s own experience chasing his musical dreams. “Quittin’ Time” was fantastic for long drives home from 18-hour workdays over the summer, particularly during ones when I felt especially fed up with my bosses. 

“Open the Gate” is technically a tribute song to deceased bull rider Lane Frost, whom Bryan has to thank for his middle name, but it is an incredibly satisfying exploration of a variety of topics such as loss, living up to your parents, fear and even the obsession with tackling an extreme physical feat. 

And, of course, there is my all-time favorite Bryan song, “Burn, Burn, Burn.” It’s a wonderful exposé on how Bryan views his approach to his life. I cannot recommend enough listening to this song, especially the live version, recorded at Red Rocks. 

This is truly the thread that ties together my completely genreless music taste: quality songwriting, especially about topics of depth. I’ll show you what I mean with several more examples. 

Noah Kahan is another one of my favorites, and similarly to Bryan, his sound is truly one-of-one. I’m not sure anyone has or ever will match Kahan’s brand of folk. But again, the deeper affinity I have for Kahan’s music encompasses his portrayal of his complicated relationship with the New England region and his healing exploration of mental health. “Homesick” and “The View Between Villages” bring me to the verge of tears on nearly every listen. 

I have NF to credit for getting me through the darkest time in my life. When it felt like no one understood me, his fiercely desperate rap about his struggles with mental health, the loss of his mother and trying desperately to hold on to faith and hope helped me feel like someone out there knew what I was going through. “The Search” and “HAPPY” are unapologetically authentic; no one could have written those songs but Nate Feuerstein himself. 

Ed Sheeran is a longtime favorite because his discography is filled with music like “Supermarket Flowers,” which mourns the loss of his grandmother, despite his most popular song being “Shape of You.” 

I think I have my mom to thank for my passion for such introspective songwriting. She did, after all, fill my childhood with the sounds of The Fray and Mumford & Sons, two bands I have also grown to love in my adult life. By the way, “You Found Me” by The Fray dives into why bad things happen to good people, while “Little Lion Man” by Mumford & Sons tackles masculinity, if you’re interested. 

Each of these artists have brought such a rich listening experience to my life. So, my petition to artists: prioritize telling more personal, unique stories. 

Because ultimately, I am much more interested in what goes on in all corners of their heart and mind than what goes on in their bedroom. 

“Jam Journal” is a rotating column featuring a new Daily Trojan editor in each installment commenting on the music most important to them. Ethan Inman is a sports editor at the Daily Trojan.