5 Songs That Prove Bailey Zimmerman Is Here to Stay

Bailey Zimmerman isn’t just another country singer singing breakup ballads; he’s one of the genre’s most compelling modern voices. Since bursting onto the scene in 2022, Zimmerman has never left the spotlight. His lyrics’ authenticity and relatability, raspy and gritty voice, and genre-blending of country and rock have kept fans hooked and eager for new music.

In this post, we’re diving into five songs that showcase exactly why Zimmerman is here to stay and how audiences can’t seem to stop hitting repeat.  

Zimmerman’s debut single from his first EP, Leave the Light On, and studio album Religiously. The Album, “Fall in Love,” charted in June 2022, even before its radio release. The song talks about the singer lamenting an ex-partner who has already moved on to a new love.  

Co-written with Austin Shawn and Gavin Lucas, Zimmerman came up with the idea for a song in 2020. The song reached No. 1 on Country Airplay and launched him into mainstream recognition.  

Zimmerman’s emotional delivery and the simplicity and relatability of the song’s lyrics (“I heard you found yourself a brand-new man / Put a rock on your finger and he vowed you a second chance / Built a house right by the coast / That ocean view is beautiful, but baby, I just want you to know / He don't know you like I did”) made it resonate to listeners, especially those who have loved and lost. Poetic, we know.  

“Rock and A Hard Place,” Zimmerman’s second single from his debut studio album, also did well like “Fall In Love.” It’s also a sad song about a relationship that’s about to break up: “We've been swinging and missing / It ain't broke yet, but damn, it needs fixing / Been a while since your kiss felt like kissing / It's just different.”

Aside from Zimmerman’s superb vocal delivery, the lyrics perfectly capture the feeling of knowing your relationship is about to end and of desperation trying to bargain and negotiate. With the lyrics, “We've been talking 'bout forever since we been together / Something 'bout a ring makes you think we're better off with all this / But we're caught in between / A rock and a hard place / Tears rolling down your face as I walked out that door / And that's when I lost it / Midnight in Austin / And damn, I'm exhausted, what the hell's this all for? / Is this where it mends or it breaks? / How much more of this can we take?” The song avoided the pitfall of resorting to clichés. The track’s widespread radio play made it one of country’s most popular heartbreak anthems of the decade.

Marking his first Grand Ole Opry performance, Zimmerman’s “Religiously” is his track that showcases his emotional maturity. Co-written with Alex Palmer, Frank Romano, Marty James, and Shawn, the song, which is about another heartbreak, used religious imagery to convey the singer’s pain: “And now I'm in this cold bright light / And this don't even feel like life / 'Cause I don't have the only woman who believed in me / Religiously / And now I'm in the back of the church / Praying just to stop the hurt / 'Cause I don't have the only woman who was there for me / Religiously.”

“Religiously” peaked at No. 1 on US Country Airplay. It also achieved 4x Platinum by the RIAA.

Zimmerman characterized the song that “takes me back to the first time I fell in love at 17.” Co-written with Shawn, Ben Stennis, Lauren Hungate, and Michael Tyler, “Holy Smokes,” like “Religiously,” blends romance and spirituality. The song follows the singer singing about rebellious nights with his girl in a church parking lot: “Heaven was a preacher's spot in that first church parking lot / Her hangin' onto me like the cross on a rearview does / Her eyes were blue, thе words were red, on that half pack of cigarеttes / At seventeen that's what hallelujah was / Life wasn't heavy in the back of that Chevy / Me, her, and the Holy Ghost / Somethin' 'bout us, hell of a rush / Fallin' in love, lightin' up them holy smokes.”

Released as a promotional single, the track was released as the lead single from his second studio album, Different Night Same Rodeo. “Holy Smokes” debuted at No. 13 on the Hot Country Songs and No. 54 on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 10. It was his first song that didn’t reach No. 1.

Included in his debut album, “Chase Her” showcased his songwriting confidence and artistic independence. Zimmerman said of the track, “I really love that song, and I think it’s something for people to look forward to, and what I’m going to write in the future a lot more. Because I do love pop music, and I love the influences, and I love how fun it is. It’s really bass-filled, and it’s just a really good vibe. It is a lot different than what I’ve done before.”

Zimmerman’s story of country music superstardom after working odd jobs, teaching him resilience, and going viral on social media might not be the traditional route, but it’s what helped him with his authentic songwriting. Plus, his unique sound and fan connection prove Zimmerman’s lasting power.