Gonna Tell My Kids This Was Tim McGraw and Nelly: Bailey Zimmerman Brings Rap Star Out for Surprise CMA Fest Performance

While Bailey Zimmerman knew the pressures of performing on stage in front of thousands, the 2025 CMA Fest was different. With thousands of fans packing the Nissan Stadium, the country singer found himself having to follow singers like Cody Johnson, Kelsea Ballerini, Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Ashley McBryde, and several others. And if that wasn’t enough pressure, he was scheduled to perform during the last day of the event. Even with the stress, Zimmerman found himself right at home as he took the stage with none other than BigXthaPlug for “All The Way.” 

Videos by American Songwriter

Releasing the music video for “All The Way” just two months ago, the song quickly took off, landing all over platforms like TikTok. Just looking at the music video, it received over 20 million views. And on Spotify, it added another 70 million streams. With fans loving the mix between country and rap, there seemed no better place to perform the song live than at the 2025 CMA Fest. 


Be sure to tune-in to CMAfest presented by SoFi on Thursday, June 26 at 8/7c on ABC to relive your favorite performances!

[RELATED: This Luke Combs-Bailey Zimmerman Collab Started With a Single Text]

Bailey Zimmerman Still Processing His Success

Luckily, fans captured the performance and shared it online. Throughout the song, Zimmerman and BigXthaPlug showcased their talents as the stage and arena lit up. Although a special moment for BigXthaPlug, he remained focused on his upcoming project that was rumored to feature stars like Jelly Roll, Post Malone, and even Shaboozey. 

As for Zimmerman, he also work on his music with his newest album, Different Night Same Rodeo, expected to hit shelves on August 8, 2025. 

Only breaking into the music industry a few years ago, Zimmerman continues to get comfortable with the stardom. Even he admitted, “I don’t think you can ever see it getting this big.”  

Although shocked by his success, Zimmerman explained that it was just a matter of time as he always believed in himself. “I believed in myself, I had a really strong foundation coming into it and really had a lot of conviction in me that was like, ‘Man. I know I can do this.’” He continued, “I know I can play shows, I know I can do it, [and] I just got to go do it. And that’s what I think it was. It was just like, head down, go work harder than anybody else. Let’s go do as many videos, let’s go put songs out, let’s go write songs every day.”

(Photo by Tammie/AFF-USA/Shutterstock)