Chris Stapleton Channels A Classic Western Tale In Star-Packed ‘White Horse’ Music Video

Chris Stapleton enlists an A-list lineup of stars to bring his GRAMMY and CMA-winning song “White Horse” to life in a cinematic music video.

Filmed against the open landscapes of Marfa, Texas, the music video, produced by Strange Arcade and directed by Running Bear Films, stars acclaimed Hollywood actors Josh Brolin (No Country For Old Men, True Grit) alongside Mae McKagan and Tommy Martinez. Stapleton himself also makes appearances alongside his wife and collaborator, Morgane, adding a personal touch to the narrative.

The video follows a couple on the run after robbing a bank, with Brolin’s sheriff character caught in the middle. Despite his commitment to the law, he develops a protective, almost paternal bond with the young woman, watching over her as she navigates the chaos. The video concludes with the couple tying the knot and riding off into the sunset, leaving their past and their trouble behind.

Speaking on the video’s concept, Running Bear’s Stephen Kinigopoulos and Alexa King Stone explain, “Listening to ‘White Horse’ over and over again, we visualized a couple on the run and wanted to add some complexity with the parental sheriff relationship between Mae and Josh’s characters. What was just going to be an action-packed love story, also became a story about letting go and trust.”

The powerful scenes aligns with the song that Stapleton co-wrote with Dan Wilson over 12 years ago. At the time, the pair of songwriters were asked to pen a track to potentially be used in the soundtrack of in the 2013 Lone Ranger movie starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer. They had little to no information on what the movie was about, so the simply went off the title and ended up writing a track filled with electric guitar riffs alongside Stapleton’s soulful voice.

The result is a dusty western sound that elevates the kind of love story that feels like a fairytale as a cowboy rides off into the sunset on a white horse. 

While “White Horse” did not make the cut for the movie, it did appear Stapleton’s full-length project as well as on country radio airwaves. It went on to become the Kentucky native’s fourth No. 1 hit and received 135 adds, marking the biggest add day of 2023 of country radio. Additionally, it was named the highest chart debut for the country superstar at Mediabase with an entry at No. 31.

The new music video comes amid another milestone year of nominations for the superstar. He’s currently up for four awards at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, including Best Country Song for “A Song To Sing” (with Miranda Lambert), Best Country Solo Performance for “Bad As I Used To Be,” and two nominations for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “A Song To Sing” and “Honky Tonk Hall of Fame” (with George Strait).

Plus, he’s heading into next week’s CMA Awards with nominations in the categories of Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Music Video of the Year for “Think I’m In Love With You.” The upcoming country music award show marks 10 years since Stapleton’s unforgettable CMA duet with Justin Timberlake and a decade since his breakthrough debut album, Traveller.

As 2025 comes to an end, Chris Stapleton gears up to extend his “All-American Road Show” into 2026 as well as deliver his sold-out “An Evening with Chris Stapleton” shows in Las Vegas, NV, Thackerville, OK and Uncasville, CT. These Sin City shows will feature Stapleton alongside his full band with no opener. 

More information can be found on his official website.