WATCH: Bailey Zimmerman Proves His Country Cred in Wild ‘New To Country’ Music Video
Zimmerman takes his “New To Country” claim to the next level with a high-energy music video.
Photo Courtesy Bailey Zimmerman
Bailey Zimmerman proves he’s not “New To Country” in his high-octane new music video.
As the song goes, Zimmerman shows he’s “anything but new to country” by bringing a label executive to his hometown of Louisville, IL to show him what he’s all about after the exec questions why he needs such a large budget to film the video.
“2.3 million dollar for a music video?” he asks before listing out the specific requests the singer has in mind. “Redneck sh**: $12,000 ATVs, boats, jet skis: $35,000. Private jet: $150,000. That’s crazy! I don’t have a problem with that, but here’s my problem. Real redneck actors slash best friends: $2 million.”
Zimmerman defends his expensive requests telling the label exec, “Obviously you don’t know nothing about country because we got to do it for real. This ain’t Hollywood buddy. We can’t make this sh** up. If we don’t do it for real, they’ll know it’s fake. I ain’t fake. I’m country!”
Not backing down, the man in the suit says, “Okay, so you get famous and you think you’re going to spend all my money. What do you even know about country with your little pretty white shoes, your blue jeans, shorts? Hell, you don’t even wear boots and you call yourself country?!”
Moments later, the pair finds themselves transported from the record label office to a field in Zimmerman’s hometown where things begin to get a bit crazy. After introducing “Chad” to his friends, Zimmerman and his buddies show him what being country is all about.
They proceed to go mudding, ride ATVs, and get rowdy on a nearby lake, all while dragging “Chad” along for the ride.
The Justin Clough directed clip pairs perfectly with the “New To Country” lyrics as Zimmerman sings, “Ain’t a thing changed ’round here but the money/ You try to mix it up but let me tell you somethin’/ Same liquor in my dixie, same rowdy bunch with me/ I’ll be laid up in the dirt before you еver take it from me/ So takе the boy out the truck, take the boy out the mud/ Put him up in a PJ, he’ll still try to get them 40’s stuck/ So line ’em up and turn it up and keep it runnin’/ Say whatever you want but I’m anything but new to country.”
In a previous Instagram post, the rising country star opened up about the song and its back story.
“Being country is about way more than wearing a cowboy hat on your head or boots on your feet. I grew up country as hell and I still ain’t changed. So I wrote a song a song about it for everybody that makes fun of me and tells me I’m not country ‘cause I wear Air Force 1’s,” he explained.
The song follows his current single, “Holy Smokes,” which has already garnered nearly one million US track equivalents. It comes on the heels of his Platinum-selling, fourth consecutive career-opening No. 1 hit, “Where It Ends,” which held the top spot for two consecutive weeks.
After wrapping up his sold-out, 30+ city international headline tour, RELIGIOUSLY. THE TOUR, in support of his platinum debut album, Religiously. The Album, the chart-topping star is now set to bring his electrifying stage show to upcoming stadium dates with Morgan Wallen, Luke Bryan, and Kane Brown throughout the fall.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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