Rising country star Bailey Zimmerman got off to a rocky start in 2025. In January 2025, he caught heat for his (admittedly inebriated) performance at Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa festival in Mexico. Owning his mistakes, the “Religiously” hitmaker, 25, publicly apologized to fans and made a commitment to address his alcohol use. He finished off the year strong, releasing high-charting collabs with Luke Combs and rapper BigxthaPlug along with his sophomore album, Different Night Same Radio, which reached No. 3 on the Top Country Albums chart. Now, as the CMA Award nominee gears up for his tour of the same name in February, Zimmerman is reflecting on the strides he has made.
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Bailey Zimmerman Takes a Look Back
Taking to social media Thursday (Jan. 23), Bailey Zimmerman shared a video that began with an earnest voiceover from the “Fall in Love” singer.
“At the beginning of 2025, I made a mistake in front of what felt like the whole world,” he said.
The video then cut to footage from the now-viral January 2025 performance in Cancun. What follows are some pretty cutting social media comments. “Couldn’t find better to sing??” “Absolutely brutal… this sucks.” “Bailey get it together.”
“But,” Zimmerman continued, “like my dad always said, sometimes life’s gonna knock you down. If you get knocked down, you got to get back up.”
Next came a deluge of clips showing the country singer doing exactly that—performing for cheering crowds, taking death-defying leaps onstage, and hugging his “All the Way” collaborator, BigXthaPlug.
In the caption, Zimmerman reflected on a year of growth that he said wouldn’t have been possible without the unconditional support of his fans. “I told yall I was gonna do better and be better for everyone,” he wrote. “and I really do appreciate yall giving me another chance and continuing to rock with me even though you didn’t have to.”
Looking Forward to a Bigger and Better 2026
Back in September, Bailey Zimmerman announced his Different Night Same Rodeo Tour in support of his sophomore album. He will kick off the 30-plus-venue trek on Thursday, Feb. 19, at Hertz Arena in Estero, Florida.
With supporting acts Hudson Westbrook and Blake Whiten, Zimmerman will bring his show across the United States and Canada, wrapping up June 20 in Ottawa.
“IMO we absolutely crushed 2025 and made some memories that will stick with us for a lifetime,” he wrote on social media. “Got knocked down, but got back up! LETS BURN IT DOWN IN 2026… SEE YALL ON TOUR.”
Featured image by Jason Davis/Getty Images
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