After previewing track to attendees at Stagecoach — where Combs served as a headliner — Bailey Zimmerman and Luke Combs finally released their brand new tune, titled “Backup Plan,” via Atlantic Records/Warner Music Nashville today (May 2).
While the drop was expected — with both Zimmerman and Combs repeatedly teasing the track and sharing the release date via social media — what was unexpected was the release of its accompanying music video, which was actually filmed during their collaboration at Stagecoach.
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For those who are unfamiliar, “Backup Plan” came to be after Zimmerman shot Combs a risky text message, leaking said text message in an in an Instagram post this morning. “I don’t know what you got going on this year as far as music, but I’ve been wanting to send you this song for a while that I think me and you could crush… jam it and let me know what you think,” Zimmerman sent the “Beer Never Broke My Heart” singer on January 22, in addition to an audio recording of the soon-to-be smash hit.
Naturally, Combs was on board, hopping on the track that is all about chasing your dreams. “So if you got a fire don’t lose it / If you got a do or die dream do it / If you got something to prove go on ‘n prove it / Don’t let nobody clip your wings / Keep your head down, keep on the blinders / Tune out the doubters and all the closed-minders / If it’s in your blood, falling down ain’t enough / To change who you were born to be / And gettin’ back up, that’s the only backup plan you need” the pair sings in the chorus of “Backup Plan,” offering words of encouragement to country music lovers everywhere.
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Nothing pairs better with a electrifying song than a electrifying music video, though. Little did attendees at Stagecoach know that Zimmerman’s surprise appearance would turn into the official music video for “Backup Plan.”
Directed by Jenny Stoff and Chris Perkel — and produced by Gregory Vanger and Ryley Fogg — the video begins by Combs introducing the “Religiously” singer onto the stage. “I was on tour in Australia in January, and it was a whole lot of fun. We enjoyed the hell out of it… I got a text message from a number that I didn’t have saved in my phone,” he prefaced, prior to delving into the details.
Combs continued, “It was like an MP3 of a song… and then I realized as I listened to it who it was, and now we’re doing this song together, and this gentleman is going to come out on stage with me tonight. His name is Bailey Zimmerman.”
The pair then put on a bombastic performance of “Backup Plan,” which fans who didn’t attend Stagecoach can now enjoy at their leisure via YouTube. Said fans can watch the full music video for the brand new tune below:
