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Different Night Same Rodeo
2025 studio album by Bailey Zimmerman From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Different Night Same Rodeo is the second studio album by American country artist Bailey Zimmerman. The album was released on August 8, 2025, via Warner Nashville and Elektra.
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Background
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Following the success of Zimmerman's debut album, Religiously. The Album, he began working on material for a follow-up while balancing a heavy touring schedule that included headlining his own tour and opening for Morgan Wallen, Kane Brown, and Luke Bryan.[1] Although he initially assembled a batch of songs for his sophomore record, Zimmerman ultimately "pulled the plug" on the project, feeling it was not personal enough.[1] He restarted the process, writing new songs and co-writing seven of the final eighteen tracks himself.[1][2]
Zimmerman announced Different Night Same Rodeo on July 8, 2025, via social media and during a live performance at Spotify House during CMA Fest in Nashville.[3] He explained that the title was taken from a lyric of the opening track "Comin' in Cold," a fiddle-driven ballad of heartbreak.[4][5] He chose it because it resonated with his own experience of romantic struggles and repetitive patterns in relationships.[4]
While debuting the track "Comin' in Cold", Zimmerman told the audience that he had spent the past two years working on the album and had postponed its release due to his mother's illness.[3] "This album is something different... Everybody around me feels like it's the album I'm supposed to put out."[3] In his announcement on social media, he thanked his fans for their patience, saying, "I hope the wait is worth it," and hinted at the album's emotional depth.[6][7] The project was produced by Zimmerman's longtime collaborator Austin Shawn, who also produced his debut album, Religiously. The Album.[6][8]
Zimmerman said he aimed to create a project that was both more mature and personal, while still showcasing the energetic, rock-infused style that earned him a devoted following.[6][9]
To promote the album, Zimmerman launched his New To Country Tour in mid-2025, with his first shows taking place in early June in Indianapolis and Sterling, Michigan.[6] The tour is promoted by Live Nation and features opening acts Dylan Marlowe and Drew Baldridge.[6] In addition to the tour, Zimmerman is set to perform at several major festivals throughout the year, including Hoofbeat, Country Jam, Country Thunder, Big Valley Jamboree, and Boots & Hearts.[6]
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Themes
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The album continues Zimmerman's blend of traditional country storytelling with modern rock and pop influences,[3][9] while incorporating southern rock and soft rock.[10][5] Songs like "Comin' in Cold" highlight themes of emotional conflict and romantic self-sabotage. Zimmerman described the track as "about this girl that I shouldn't be chasing. I'm chasing red flags and I'm addicted to it."[6] He added that the song reflects his life over the past few years and hinted at a greater sense of vulnerability and artistic growth throughout the album.[6]
Recurring lyrical themes include heartbreak, lost love, regret, and perseverance, with Zimmerman often drawing on autobiographical experiences.[1][2][5] While ballads such as "At the Same Time" and "Yours for the Breaking" dwell on fractured relationships, upbeat tracks like "Backup Plan" (featuring Luke Combs) and "New to Country" emphasize determination and defiance.[10][2][5] Songs like "Ashes" (featuring Diplo) and "Lost" (featuring the Kid Laroi) expand Zimmerman's sound into pop and electronic textures while maintaining his vocal grit.[10][2][5]
Zimmerman has said that faith and personal renewal also shaped the album, with tracks such as "Hell or High Water" reflecting his spiritual journey.[1]
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Critical reception
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Different Night Same Rodeo received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Zimmerman's vocal delivery, willingness to experiment across genres, and authentic approach to songwriting, while also noting some unevenness in cohesion.
Max Buondonno of Country Central gave the album a 7.2/10, calling Zimmerman "a genuine, down-to-earth heartthrob" with Post Malone-like vibrato but also one who occasionally lapses into "Florida Georgia Line-style bro-country."[10] Buondonno noted that the record's "playlist mentality" created an uneven listening experience but argues that the variety was part of its charm.[10] He praised the "infectious" collaboration with the Kid Laroi on "Lost" and called Zimmerman's ability to sound authentic on both party anthems and somber ballads the album's greatest strength.[10]
Melinda Newman of Billboard highlighted the album's thematic focus on heartbreak and resilience, describing Zimmerman's vocals as carrying a "rugged, appealing vulnerability."[2] She singled out "Backup Plan" with Luke Combs and "Comin' in Cold" as standout tracks that balanced country grit with rock influences.[2] However, she noted that the album "could use some more up-tempo tracks," suggesting that its emotional weight occasionally overshadowed its energy.[2] Jessica Nicholson, also of Billboard, emphasized Zimmerman's decision to scrap his first attempt at the sophomore album and begin again in order to make a more personal project.[1] She praised the mix of self-written tracks outside cuts from Nashville songwriters, noting that the final album reflected Zimmerman's growth and willingness to balance radio-ready hooks with raw, autobiographical detail.[1]
James Daykin of Entertainment Focus awarded the album 4.5 stars out of five, praising its "confident and compelling step forward" compared to Zimmerman's debut.[5] He pointed to the "poignant" storytelling of "Chevy Silverado" and the "inventive" genre crossover of "Lost" as standout moments, while commending Zimmerman's expanded sonic palette that included banjo, fiddle, and rootsier instrumentation.[5] Daykin concluded that while the album centered heavily on heartbreak, Zimmerman's emotional honesty and stylistic variety kept it from feeling repetitive.[5]
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Track listing
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Personnel
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Credits adapted from Tidal.[11][12]
Musicians
- Bailey Zimmerman – lead vocals
- Austin Shawn – background vocals (all tracks), programming (tracks 1–16, 18), drums (6, 12), bass (7, 10–12), strings (11), drum programming (17)
- Tim Galloway – acoustic guitar (1–16, 18), mandolin (1–4, 7, 13, 14, 16, 18), banjo (1, 2, 7, 9, 10, 14, 18), electric guitar (1, 3–7, 10, 12, 13, 16–18), bouzouki (2, 8, 10, 17), pedal steel guitar (2), 12-string guitar (3, 7, 9, 13), slide guitar (6, 17), nylon-strung guitar (15), bass (17)
- Dave Cohen – piano (1–4, 6–8, 13, 17, 18), synthesizer (2–5, 7, 8, 13, 15–18), organ (3–5, 7, 10, 13, 14, 16, 18), strings (6, 12, 15, 16), Hammond B3 organ (9, 17), Wurlitzer (9), keyboards (10, 12, 16)
- Scotty Sanders – pedal steel guitar (1, 5, 17), steel guitar (3, 4, 7, 8, 13, 14, 18), Dobro (6)
- Rob McNelley – electric guitar (1, 3–5, 7–9, 13, 15, 18), slide guitar (9)
- Jerry Roe – drums, percussion (1, 3–5, 8–10, 13–15, 18)
- Jimmie Lee Sloas – bass (1, 3–5, 8, 13–16, 18)
- Jenee Fleenor – fiddle (1, 4, 12, 16)
- Matt McVaney – acoustic guitar (1), piano (15)
- Josh Serrato – bass, electric guitar (2)
- Andrew Peebles – background vocals (6)
- Michael Rinne – bass (6)
- Justin Schipper – pedal steel guitar (6)
- Adam Ernst – electric guitar (7)
- Steve Mackey – bass (9)
- Luke Combs – featured vocals (9)
- Ben Johnson – Rhodes piano (11)
- Brandon Hood – slide guitar (11, 15)
- Kurt Ozan – pedal steel guitar (12, 16, 17)
- MacKenzie Carpenter – background vocals (13)
- Chris McHugh – drums (16)
- Brendan Orchard – electric guitar (16)
- Travis Toy – pedal steel guitar (16)
- Bryan Sutton – acoustic guitar (17)
Technical
- Austin Shawn – production, mixing (all tracks); mastering (tracks 1, 3–18), engineering (6, 9, 10, 12, 16), additional engineering (1, 3–5, 7, 8, 11, 13, 17, 18), digital editing (1, 3–5, 7–11, 13–15, 17, 18)
- Diplo – production (2)
- Josh Serrato – production (2)
- Jim Cooley – mixing (all tracks), engineering (16)
- Eric Lagg – mastering (2)
- Josh Ditty – engineering (1, 15)
- Drew Bollman – engineering (3, 5, 7–9, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18)
- Sean Phelan – engineering (5)
- Chip Matthews – engineering (9)
- Brian David Willis – digital editing (1, 3–5, 7–9, 11, 13–15, 17, 18)
- Katelyn Prieboy – engineering assistance (1, 15)
- Zach Kulhman – engineering assistance (3–5, 7–9, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18)
- Austin Brown – engineering assistance (3–5, 7, 8, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18)
- Chris Vanoverberghe – engineering assistance (3–5, 7, 8, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18)
- Bryan Gomez – engineering assistance (5)
- Jacob Dendy – engineering assistance (5)
- Mate Gere – engineering assistance (5)
- Alyson McAnally – production coordination (1, 3–5, 7–11, 13–15, 17, 18)
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Charts
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References
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