Songfacts®:

• On "Sandpaper," Zach Bryan's got it bad for a woman he declares is "outta this planet," not just out of his league. He likens the object of his affection to sandpaper, someone who can smooth out his rough edges. As Bryan sings:
  
  And they've been tryin' to smooth me out
  For 27 seasons now
  
  Bryan recorded "Sandpaper" for his fifth album, The Great American Bar Scene. He turned 28 just three months before the album dropped on July 4, 2024, so he was likely 27 when he penned this tune.
• Bryan first met Brianna "Chickenfry" LaPaglia at the Academy of Country Music Awards in May 2023, when LaPaglia asked for a photo with the singer. Within a couple of months they were dating. It's likely LaPaglia inspired this uncharacteristically up-tempo love song.
• Bryan shares the stage on "Sandpaper" with one of his biggest influences, Bruce Springsteen. Bryan and Springsteen trade verses, with The Boss letting loose his iconic howl toward the song's end.
• The album carries a heavy influence from The Boss's 1982 album Nebraska. Like Springsteen, Bryan's music embodies a uniquely American sound, perfect for an Independence Day release, featuring troubled, common-man characters who grapple with their demons in the shadows.
• Bryan first teased "Sandpaper" in January 2024, releasing 45-second snippets on social media. He premiered the full four-minute version at his March 15, 2024 show at Newark's Prudential Center.
• Springsteen made a surprise appearance at Bryan's March 27, 2024, show at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, performing "Sandpaper" and another Bryan song, "Revival," with Maggie Rogers joining them for the encore.
• "Sandpaper" contains a chugging beat reminiscent of Springsteen's 1984 hit, "I'm On Fire."
• Zach Bryan co-produced "Sandpaper" with Jacquire King, a renowned producer and engineer who has worked with the likes of Kings of Leon, Tom Waits, Modest Mouse, and Norah Jones. King helped Bryan produced five tracks on The Great American Bar Scene.
• "Sandpaper" debuted at #26 on the Country chart, giving Springsteen his maiden entry on the listing.
  
  It also debuted at #71 on the Hot 100, the Boss' first visit to the tally since "Working on a Dream" debuted and peaked at #95 in February 2009.