From a job at a meat processing plant to country music stardom, Bailey Zimmerman is figuring it out
His is a Cinderella story.
Before the big tours and country music award nominations, Bailey Zimmerman was growing up in the small town of Louisville, Illinois, working at the local meat processing plant and laying gas pipeline. Then, in 2020, he decided to upload videos of himself singing to social media — Black Stone Cherry's 'Stay,' and, later, an original.
He quickly garnered a fan base on TikTok. It wasn't overnight, but it was fast. Soon, he inked a deal with Warner Music Nashville and released his debut full-length, 2023's 'Religiously. The Album.' It peaked at No. 7 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart and was certified two-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Now comes Friday, when he follows it up with a sophomore offering, 'Different Night Same Rodeo.'
'I don't know what I'm doing,' Zimmerman, 25, tells The Associated Press through a smile. 'I randomly got into music in 2020, 2021, and I'd never sang before. I'd never wrote songs before.'
After 'Religiously. The Album.' did well — something he didn't see coming — Zimmerman found himself trying to recreate it while writing for his second album. 'It just didn't work,' he says. 'I just found myself not really writing that great of songs because I'm trying to write other songs that have already been written.'
So, he took a step back, and asked himself: 'What am I trying to do with my music? And what is the whole goal of this next album?' The answer was simple: He wanted to tell stories from his life.
'You didn't know what you were doing the first time. And you don't know what you're doing now,' he told himself. 'So just write songs that you love and try to write songs that you feel like people can relate to, you know, stories from things I've been through.'
On 'Different Night Same Rodeo,' those stories are told in big-hearted ballads ('Hell or High Water'), good time stomps ('New to Country') and varied collaborations, including with country star Luke Combs ('Backup Plan'), the rising pop voice the Kid LAROI ('Lost'), and Diplo ('Ashes'). He's always been open to such eclectic collaborations, anchored in his raspy, charismatic tone — Zimmerman's highest charting song to date is 'All The Way,' a hip-hop-country hybrid he features on with rapper BigXThaPlug.
For his second album, Zimmerman wanted to make sure he worked with artists he had true relationships with. For Combs, he knew the singer would be perfect for the fiery 'Backup Plan' — he just never thought he'd meet him. Then, Combs invited Zimmerman to perform at his Hurricane Helene relief benefit 'Concert for Carolina.' They hit it off, and the rest is history. The Kid LAROI ('We're like the same person,' Zimmerman says) and Diplo ('Sometimes things just feel like God's plan,' he says) were partnerships that also happened organically.
'When I collaborate, I just want it to be a real friendship,' he says. 'And I want it to feel real, because it comes across not real when it's not.'
For an artist who describes himself as 'dealing with a little bit of impostor syndrome,' he seems to know, at least intuitively, what works for himself and his fans.
'The main reason I write music is so people know they're not alone and that I've been through the things that they've been through, too,' he says. 'I think that's what I started my whole career on, was people relating to me kind of 'therapy writing,'' he says. ''Different Night Same Rodeo' — it's the fluctuation of life. It's the ups and the downs, the mountains, the valleys, but we're still on a good vibe.'
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Today
4 days ago
- Japan Today
From a job at a meat processing plant to country music stardom, Bailey Zimmerman is figuring it out
By MARIA SHERMAN His is a Cinderella story. Before the big tours and country music award nominations, Bailey Zimmerman was growing up in the small town of Louisville, Illinois, working at the local meat processing plant and laying gas pipeline. Then, in 2020, he decided to upload videos of himself singing to social media — Black Stone Cherry's 'Stay,' and, later, an original. He quickly garnered a fan base on TikTok. It wasn't overnight, but it was fast. Soon, he inked a deal with Warner Music Nashville and released his debut full-length, 2023's 'Religiously. The Album.' It peaked at No. 7 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart and was certified two-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Now comes Friday, when he follows it up with a sophomore offering, 'Different Night Same Rodeo.' 'I don't know what I'm doing,' Zimmerman, 25, tells The Associated Press through a smile. 'I randomly got into music in 2020, 2021, and I'd never sang before. I'd never wrote songs before.' After 'Religiously. The Album.' did well — something he didn't see coming — Zimmerman found himself trying to recreate it while writing for his second album. 'It just didn't work,' he says. 'I just found myself not really writing that great of songs because I'm trying to write other songs that have already been written.' So, he took a step back, and asked himself: 'What am I trying to do with my music? And what is the whole goal of this next album?' The answer was simple: He wanted to tell stories from his life. 'You didn't know what you were doing the first time. And you don't know what you're doing now,' he told himself. 'So just write songs that you love and try to write songs that you feel like people can relate to, you know, stories from things I've been through.' On 'Different Night Same Rodeo,' those stories are told in big-hearted ballads ('Hell or High Water'), good time stomps ('New to Country') and varied collaborations, including with country star Luke Combs ('Backup Plan'), the rising pop voice the Kid LAROI ('Lost'), and Diplo ('Ashes'). He's always been open to such eclectic collaborations, anchored in his raspy, charismatic tone — Zimmerman's highest charting song to date is 'All The Way,' a hip-hop-country hybrid he features on with rapper BigXThaPlug. For his second album, Zimmerman wanted to make sure he worked with artists he had true relationships with. For Combs, he knew the singer would be perfect for the fiery 'Backup Plan' — he just never thought he'd meet him. Then, Combs invited Zimmerman to perform at his Hurricane Helene relief benefit 'Concert for Carolina.' They hit it off, and the rest is history. The Kid LAROI ('We're like the same person,' Zimmerman says) and Diplo ('Sometimes things just feel like God's plan,' he says) were partnerships that also happened organically. 'When I collaborate, I just want it to be a real friendship,' he says. 'And I want it to feel real, because it comes across not real when it's not.' For an artist who describes himself as 'dealing with a little bit of impostor syndrome,' he seems to know, at least intuitively, what works for himself and his fans. 'The main reason I write music is so people know they're not alone and that I've been through the things that they've been through, too,' he says. 'I think that's what I started my whole career on, was people relating to me kind of 'therapy writing,'' he says. ''Different Night Same Rodeo' — it's the fluctuation of life. It's the ups and the downs, the mountains, the valleys, but we're still on a good vibe.' © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Japan Today
01-08-2025
- Japan Today
How 'KPop Demon Hunters' became the surprise hit of the summer
By MARIA SHERMAN, KARENA PHAN and JUWON PARK In the colorful, animated, musical world of 'KPop Demon Hunters,' everyone is a fan. The general public rocks T-shirts supporting their favorite idols. They hold light sticks and stare starry-eyed at stadium stages; they scream, they cry, they cheer, they buy the merch. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise, then, that the Sony Pictures/ Netflix film itself has inspired similar fanfare, having topped the streamer's global rankings. Fans have flooded the internet with art, covers, cosplay and choreography in response to the movie, which follows the fictional K-pop girl group HUNTR/X as they fight demons. And it's not just the film that's a summer hit. The 'KPop Demon Hunters' soundtrack has topped the charts — debuting at No. 1 on Billboard's Soundtracks chart and No. 8 on the all-genre Billboard 200. Here's how 'KPop Demon Hunters' became the year's surprising success story. Musical tradition — and K-pop — are honored The 'KPop Demon Hunters' soundtrack utilizes some of the best and brightest in the genre. That included a partnership with K-pop company The Black Label, co-founded by super producer Teddy Park, known for his work with YG, Blackpink and 2NE1 — empowered girl groups used as references for the film's protagonists, the trio HUNTR/X. It's one of the many reasons the musical film's soundtrack stands on its own. Filmmakers 'really did their homework,' says Jeff Benjamin, a music journalist who specializes in K-pop. Indeed, they did a lot of research. One of the film's directors, Maggie Kang, said that her team prioritized 'representing the fandom and the idols in a very specific way,' as to not disappoint K-pop fans. They pulled from a treasure trove of influences heard at every corner: The fictional, rival boy band Saja Boys' hit song 'Soda Pop,' for example, references the '90s K-pop group H.O.T. And it has worked. 'KPop Demon Hunters' is the highest charting soundtrack of 2025, with eight of its songs landing on the Billboard Hot 100. It peaked at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200. To put that in perspective: Lorde's 'Virgin' and Justin Bieber's 'Swag' did the same. In some ways, it recalls Disney's 'Encanto,' which topped the Billboard 200 and produced a No. 1 hit, 'We Don't Talk About Bruno ' in 2022. Similarly, 'KPop Demon Hunters' embraces 'the original soundtrack, which is a lost art form,' adds Benjamin. Tamar Herman, a music journalist and author of the 'Notes on K-pop' newsletter, says the movie succeeds because it embraces animated musical tradition and authentic K-pop music production styles in equal measure. She considers 'Kpop Demon Hunters' to be 'a musical with songs inspired by K-pop,' not unlike a Jukebox musical, where the songs of ABBA are reimagined for 'Mamma Mia.' Audiences hunger for something new The novelty of the film, too, seems to be resonating. Where many animated films rely on adapting existing intellectual property, 'KPop Demon Hunters' is original. And it comes from an original perspective. 'It's not completely Korean, it's not completely Western and it's kind of right in that middle,' says Kang. 'It's like not pulled from one side; it's kind of flavors of both. So, I think that's what makes the movie feels a little different.' And 'the core story is what's drawing everybody in,' says Kang. San Francisco-based cosplayer and content creator Nanci Alcántar, who goes by Naanny Lee online agrees. 'It's not only a K-pop group, but it also tells a story of their journey, of how they transform into powerful warriors,' said Alcántar in Spanish. For her, it goes beyond K-pop — it's about the narrative. Kang's approach to cultural authenticity, too, may have contributed to the film's crossover appeal. Rather than explaining Korean elements like HUNTR/X's visit to a traditional medicine clinic or translating K-pop light stick culture for Western audiences, she opted for full immersion. 'We just wanted everybody to just accept that they were in Korea,' Kang said. The director said this method of 'throwing people into the deep end of a culture' breaks down barriers better than heavy-handed explanation. 'We just wanted to keep everything feeling normal,' she explained. 'If you don't shine a light on it, it just becomes more easily accepted.' Inventive animation connects Zabrinah Santiago, a San Diego-based longtime K-pop fan and freelance illustrator who goes by ItmeZ online, was so inspired by the animation style of the movie that she raced to make fan art. She sold illustrated fan cards of HUNTR/X and Saja Boys at her booth at the Los Angeles Anime Expo, held in July, two weeks after the movie was released on Netflix. And she wasn't the only one. A search of #kpopdemonhunters on Instagram yields thousands of fan illustrations of HUNTR/X and Saja Boys. Japan-based Youtuber Emily Sim, also known as Emirichu online, says the character designs and original plot drew her to the movie. Sim, with more than 3.5 million subscribers on YouTube, posted a 35-minute video about the movie. In a week-and-a-half, it garnered nearly 450,000 views. 'I love seeing all the fan art and just the ways that this movie has creatively inspired people,' Sim said. Kang says for 'KPop Demon Hunters,' her team wanted to bring together demons and Jeoseung Saja — the grim reaper in Korean mythology — for a film that could look both very traditional and modernized — what she says is common in K-dramas but not in animation. Herman compares the movie to another Sony animation: 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,' which also attracted a broad audience with its creative animation. 'And it's a fun, animated musical, which we haven't had in a while,' she says. 'It's campy, it's engaging, it's universal.' And K-pop fans see themselves represented Santiago was initially skeptical of the title 'KPop Demon Hunters.' 'I feel like with big companies they kind of like to use K-pop as a bait. They kind of like to take advantage of K-pop fans' sincerity,' said Santiago. 'But I felt like with this one, it was such like kind of a love letter to K-pop fans.' Indeed — if the film wasn't authentic to K-pop fans' experience, or mocked them, it is unlikely to have become so popular, says Benjamin. Instead, there are Easter eggs for the dedicated K-pop listener. Herman agrees, and says that the film has in-jokes for K-pop fans, not unlike a children's movie that features some humor meant to appeal specifically to parents. 'Figuring out what makes K-pop tick in a way that resonates with musical fans was really important to this movie,' said Herman. For Kang, that was always at the heart of the project. 'Fandom plays a huge part in the world being saved at the end of the movie,' she said. 'So, we were really confident that we were doing that justice.' Karena Phan reported from Los Angeles. Juwon Park reported from Seoul. © 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Asahi Shimbun
30-07-2025
- Asahi Shimbun
How ‘KPop Demon Hunters' became the surprise hit of the summer
This image released by Netflix shows characters, from left, Rumi, Zoey, and Mira in a scene from 'KPop Demon Hunters.' (Netflix via AP) NEW YORK--In the colorful, animated, musical world of 'KPop Demon Hunters,' everyone is a fan. The general public rocks T-shirts supporting their favorite idols. They hold light sticks and stare starry-eyed at stadium stages; they scream, they cry, they cheer, they buy the merch. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise, then, that the Sony Pictures/ Netflix film itself has inspired similar fanfare, having topped the streamer's global rankings. Fans have flooded the internet with art, covers, cosplay and choreography in response to the movie, which follows the fictional K-pop girl group HUNTR/X as they fight demons. And it's not just the film that's a summer hit. The 'KPop Demon Hunters' soundtrack has topped the charts — debuting at No. 1 on Billboard's Soundtracks chart and No. 8 on the all-genre Billboard 200. Here's how 'KPop Demon Hunters' became the year's surprising success story. The 'KPop Demon Hunters' soundtrack utilizes some of the best and brightest in the genre. That included a partnership with K-pop company The Black Label, co-founded by super producer Teddy Park, known for his work with YG, Blackpink and 2NE1 — empowered girl groups used as references for the film's protagonists, the trio HUNTR/X. It's one of the many reasons the musical film's soundtrack stands on its own. Filmmakers 'really did their homework,' says Jeff Benjamin, a music journalist who specializes in K-pop. Indeed, they did a lot of research. One of the film's directors, Maggie Kang, said that her team prioritized 'representing the fandom and the idols in a very specific way,' as to not disappoint K-pop fans. They pulled from a treasure trove of influences heard at every corner: The fictional, rival boy band Saja Boys' hit song 'Soda Pop,' for example, references the '90s K-pop group H.O.T. And it has worked. 'KPop Demon Hunters' is the highest charting soundtrack of 2025, with eight of its songs landing on the Billboard Hot 100. It peaked at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200. To put that in perspective: Lorde's 'Virgin' and Justin Bieber's 'Swag' did the same. In some ways, it recalls Disney's 'Encanto,' which topped the Billboard 200 and produced a No. 1 hit, 'We Don't Talk About Bruno' in 2022. Similarly, 'KPop Demon Hunters' embraces 'the original soundtrack, which is a lost art form,' adds Benjamin. Tamar Herman, a music journalist and author of the 'Notes on K-pop' newsletter, says the movie succeeds because it embraces animated musical tradition and authentic K-pop music production styles in equal measure. She considers 'Kpop Demon Hunters' to be 'a musical with songs inspired by K-pop,' not unlike a Jukebox musical, where the songs of ABBA are reimagined for 'Mamma Mia.' The novelty of the film, too, seems to be resonating. Where many animated films rely on adapting existing intellectual property, 'KPop Demon Hunters' is original. And it comes from an original perspective. 'It's not completely Korean, it's not completely Western and it's kind of right in that middle,' says Kang. 'It's like not pulled from one side; it's kind of flavors of both. So, I think that's what makes the movie feels a little different.' And 'the core story is what's drawing everybody in,' says Kang. San Francisco-based cosplayer and content creator Nanci Alcántar, who goes by Naanny Lee online agrees. 'It's not only a K-pop group, but it also tells a story of their journey, of how they transform into powerful warriors,' said Alcántar in Spanish. For her, it goes beyond K-pop — it's about the narrative. Kang's approach to cultural authenticity, too, may have contributed to the film's crossover appeal. Rather than explaining Korean elements like HUNTR/X's visit to a traditional medicine clinic or translating K-pop light stick culture for Western audiences, she opted for full immersion. 'We just wanted everybody to just accept that they were in Korea,' Kang said. The director said this method of 'throwing people into the deep end of a culture' breaks down barriers better than heavy-handed explanation. 'We just wanted to keep everything feeling normal,' she explained. 'If you don't shine a light on it, it just becomes more easily accepted.' Zabrinah Santiago, a San Diego-based longtime K-pop fan and freelance illustrator who goes by ItmeZ online, was so inspired by the animation style of the movie that she raced to make fan art. She sold illustrated fan cards of HUNTR/X and Saja Boys at her booth at the Los Angeles Anime Expo, held in July, two weeks after the movie was released on Netflix. And she wasn't the only one. A search of #kpopdemonhunters on Instagram yields thousands of fan illustrations of HUNTR/X and Saja Boys. Japan-based Youtuber Emily Sim, also known as Emirichu online, says the character designs and original plot drew her to the movie. Sim, with more than 3.5 million subscribers on YouTube, posted a 35-minute video about the movie. In a week-and-a-half, it garnered nearly 450,000 views. 'I love seeing all the fan art and just the ways that this movie has creatively inspired people,' Sim said. Kang says for 'KPop Demon Hunters,' her team wanted to bring together demons and Jeoseung Saja — the grim reaper in Korean mythology — for a film that could look both very traditional and modernized — what she says is common in K-dramas but not in animation. Herman compares the movie to another Sony animation: 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,' which also attracted a broad audience with its creative animation. 'And it's a fun, animated musical, which we haven't had in a while,' she says. 'It's campy, it's engaging, it's universal.' Santiago was initially skeptical of the title 'KPop Demon Hunters.' 'I feel like with big companies they kind of like to use K-pop as a bait. They kind of like to take advantage of K-pop fans' sincerity,' said Santiago. 'But I felt like with this one, it was such like kind of a love letter to K-pop fans.' Indeed — if the film wasn't authentic to K-pop fans' experience, or mocked them, it is unlikely to have become so popular, says Benjamin. Instead, there are Easter eggs for the dedicated K-pop listener. Herman agrees and says that the film has in-jokes for K-pop fans, not unlike a children's movie that features some humor meant to appeal specifically to parents. 'Figuring out what makes K-pop tick in a way that resonates with musical fans was really important to this movie,' said Herman. For Kang, that was always at the heart of the project. 'Fandom plays a huge part in the world being saved at the end of the movie,' she said. 'So, we were really confident that we were doing that justice.'
