A yr in the past, it appeared like Bailey Zimmerman had the batch of songs that may make up his sophomore album — the follow-up to his 2023 debut Religiously. The Album., which spawned a trio of No. 1 Billboard Nation Airplay hits: “Fall in Love,” “Rock and a Laborious Place” and “Religiously.”
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However as he was making an attempt to steadiness writing periods for the brand new album and a busy touring schedule — final yr, he not solely headlined his personal high-energy Religiously. The Tour., however opened stadium reveals for the likes of Morgan Wallen, Kane Brown and Luke Bryan — Zimmerman says that although he was getting nice suggestions on the songs from these in his internal circle, one thing didn’t really feel fairly proper.
“We put up the tour and it bought out, and my group was like, ‘You’ll want to put out one other file,’” he remembers to Billboard. “However I used to be like, ‘I’m not likely feeling this album. The songs are good, however it doesn’t really feel private to me.’ If I put it out, it’s on the market and I can’t take it again. That’s after I pulled the entire plug on it.”
So Zimmerman recalibrated, writing extra songs and digging deeper, lyrically and musically, finally contributing seven of the 18 songs that seem on his new album, Totally different Night time, Similar Rodeo, out on Atlantic Data/Warner Music Nashville on Friday (Aug. 8). However he additionally known as upon lots of Nashville’s premier songwriters to craft songs, such because the jangly, fiddle-laced ode of self-sabotage “Comin’ in Chilly,” the driving “Backup Plan” and the sterling album nearer “Joyful Ever After Me.”
“I’m blessed due to songwriters,” he says. “Outdated-school days, all people was so, ‘I don’t minimize outdoors songs.’ That ain’t me. Once I first began writing for my first album, I wasn’t touring, I used to be solely writing songs. Once I began touring, it does get hectic and wild. I [told writers] ‘I’ll provide you with some concepts and issues I wish to speak about, and also you go write songs. In the event you write a tune I really feel like I may have written myself or I connect with it, I’ll minimize that tune.’ They’ll ship me a verse-chorus, and I’ll begin messing with it on the bus.”
Amongst these songs Zimmerman co-wrote is the country-rock leaning “Chevy Silverado,” which Zimmerman says he had been engaged on intermittently for about three years.
“Once I was 16, my Chevy Silverado was every thing to me,” he remembers. “I used to be at all times driving that factor, going to events, hanging out with ladies. At first the lyric was a couple of purple Chevy Silverado, then I modified it to white. I spotted, ‘Wait, it is a tune about my life’ — and I began altering all of the lyrics [to more closely fit his story].”
He ultimately introduced in co-writers Tucker Beathard, Ilsey Juber, Gavin Lucas and Heath Warren to assist form the tune. “That is my story, from assembly ladies to hanging out and getting my coronary heart damaged,” he continues. “Now, I nonetheless have the Chevy Silverado — however none of these ladies, none of these loves. The floor which means is that your Chevy won’t ever go away you, however the ladies will.”
The brand new album is scattered with collaborations, following “All of the Method,” his smash teamup with BigXthaPlug that reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 earlier this yr. On his present hit single from the album, Zimmerman joins forces with Luke Combs on the steely-eyed ode to ambition and grit “Backup Plan,” which has reached the highest 10 on the Nation Airplay chart. “Luke was a kind of [collabroators] I used to be chasing,” he says.
When Zimmerman performed at Combs’s October profit live performance Live performance For Carolina, which aided these in North Carolina impacted by huge flooding, the 2 artists discovered time to hang around previous to the present.
“It was an actual connection — I used to be like, ‘I actually like this man,’” Zimmerman remembers. “It felt like he was treating me like he would deal with anyone else. He gave me his quantity that night time, and I used to be like, ‘Ought to I textual content him? Ought to I be the loopy woman on the primary date and textual content after the primary date? Or ought to I let it chill?’ It was about 10 days later I lastly texted him, and we ended up doing ‘Backup Plan’ collectively.”
Bailey Zimmerman, “Totally different Night time Similar Rodeo”
Courtesy Photograph
Illinois native Zimmerman, whose profession launched after he first put up truck movies on TikTok, then transitioned to releasing movies of himself performing his personal songs, has earned nominations from the Academy of Nation Music and the Nation Music Affiliation, and earned two prime 10 hits on the Sizzling 100, the aforementioned “All The Method” and the unaccompanied “Rock and a Laborious Place.”
The place his debut album original a moody, 2000s rock-oriented model of nation, his new album leans into shades of R&B, in addition to brighter banjo- and fiddle-fueled nation tracks similar to “New To Nation” and even feather-light touches of church piano sounds on the Diplo collab “Ashes.”
“I’ve been such a fan of his music,” Zimmerman says of Diplo. “At some point, he simply confirmed up at my home, and I used to be like, ‘I wanna present you some songs.’ It was so random. ‘They stated Diplo’s on his manner over.’ The tune felt so enjoyable and hype. Although it talks about, like, this woman has this man she’s not likely into and she or he retains coming again to me. It kinda insinuates dishonest a bit bit, however I didn’t consider it like that, I simply thought, ‘It’s so enjoyable.’ It sort of talks about some deep stuff, however it’s meant to be light-hearted.”
The Child LAROI collab “Misplaced” got here after the 2 musicians spent the night time in town in Nashville after LAROI had performed a personal present in Music Metropolis.
“He’s like, ‘I wish to have dinner with Bailey,’” Zimmerman remembers. “I’ve listened to his songs since like 2016 and had simply began. We obtained to dinner and I used to be nervous — so [we] obtained there and he was the nicest man ever. We get alongside [about] every thing, and all of simply what we imagine in and life and our careers — it was just like the Spiderman factor the place I used to be pointing at myself. We had a wild night time in Nashville, went out to Morgan’s [Wallen’s Nashville bar] — I took him to Loser’s, and the following morning he pushed his flight again as a result of he needed to have breakfast. On the best way there, he was like, ‘Final night time, you performed me a tune. Are you able to play that once more?’ and I had performed him ‘Misplaced.’ He stored asking to listen to it, so I requested him to get on the tune.”
Although he’s just lately rolled out the collabs with BigXThaPlug, Combs and Diplo, Zimmerman says he’s even handed in terms of collaborating. “My predominant factor about collaborations is I actually wish to be mates, and it’s not simply this pressured trade factor,” he says.
A few of Zimmerman’s songs, similar to “Religiously” and the brand new album’s “Holy Smokes,” dabble in non secular references — however he additionally delves deeper into emotionally uncooked moments of doubt and battle, similar to on “Hell or Excessive Water.” Zimmerman says the brand new undertaking follows a private time marked by fear, and reliance on unhealthy vices, however he’s seen a private non secular renewal in his personal life.
“God saved me from ingesting and smoking on a regular basis and all these little issues that stored getting in my manner,” Zimmerman says. “The uncertainty and me worrying… I’ve nervous about this album, this tour. I’ve been so nervous about every thing, however after I pray about it, it’s gone. [My faith] has simply grown stronger over the previous few years.”
As each nation music and Christian music have skyrocketed over the previous yr, Zimmerman says releasing his personal album of faith-inspired music or a Up to date Christian music collab wouldn’t be out of the query.
“I’ve had individuals ask me if I’d do a Christian album, however God’s calling me to do what I’m doing proper now and there’s a cause for it,” he gives. “100% ,I’d do a Christian collab. I’ve thought of doing a Christian album — however my model of it, the place it’s Christian-country. I’ve really been speaking to [Contemporary Christian music singer-songwriter] Brandon Lake about doing that, and I’m such a giant fan of his.
“I feel it’s the brand new age of Christian religion, as a result of there’s been so many individuals not doing it for the proper causes,” he provides. “I had this girl in catering one time. I had a sweatshirt on that stated, ‘Simply Right here to Give God Glory.’ I stated one thing like, ‘This hen appears good as s—t’ This girl went, ‘In the event you’re going to be a billboard, then possibly you need to most likely be a bit higher along with your mouth. I’m like, ‘Oh, so as a result of I’m not excellent, I can’t unfold the phrase of God?’ That’s the worst recommendation I’ve heard in my life. The old-school manner of studying about God and being a Christian is so outdated. No, you don’t must take your hat off to speak to God or present up in your Sunday finest. I’m so obsessed with it.”
However at the moment, he says his nation songs of affection, loss, development and his small-town upbringing are proper the place he feels he must be, and he’s excited to be taking part in his new music, and revealing his journey to date, to followers on his present New to Nation Tour every night time.
“This music is loopy and I’ve labored so arduous on it,” Zimmerman says. “I’m so glad I caught to my weapons on [the album]. I’m so pleased with it. It’s tight.”