Up Next Short Shot on iPhone Debuts Exclusively on Apple Music Today
Apple Music today announced record-breaking singer-songwriter Bailey Zimmerman as the latest addition to its Up Next program, Apple Music’s monthly artist initiative geared towards identifying, showcasing and elevating rising talent.
“I still wake up every day feeling so unbelievably grateful for all the support y’all have shown me since I quit my job to make music two years ago,” said Bailey Zimmerman. “To be named an Up Next Artist by Apple is truly a dream come true. God is so good! I’m so thankful for y’all.”
Growing up in the small town of Louisville, Illinois, Zimmerman went from spending long hours at the family car dealership and late nights of roadwork on the gas pipeline, to a major label record deal and back-to-back Platinum hits in just under two years. Upon the release of his Leave the Light On EP in October 2022, Zimmerman smashed the record for the biggest country debut EP of all time by first-day streams on Apple Music worldwide. Zimmerman’s music has reached the Daily Top 100 in 13 countries worldwide and last year, he saw an increase in streams of over 1,600% on Apple Music worldwide, priming him to be Apple Music’s first Up Next artist of 2023 with an eventful year ahead.
In his exclusive Apple Music short film, out today, Zimmerman takes fans along some of his favorite spots in Nashville, and shares a window into his world of writing and producing music with his close circle of friends and producers. Zimmerman also sat down for an interview with Apple Music’s Kelleigh Bannen, where he discussed his dream collaborations, what’s up next for him in 2023, and how’s he’s handling his newfound stardom. “It’s all for the love of country music,” he tells the Today’s Country host. “That’s all it’s about at the end of the day for me. Because that’s what I started it on, music was my avenue to not freak out every single day. I could just write music and write music. And when you’re sad, you write music. When you’re happy, you write music. And it’s more about the fact that we’ve gotten these people to love the songs we write. That’s what it’s about…the love of country music. I am here and so are these people.”
Check out the film and interview and listen to a newly expanded edition of Bailey Zimmerman’s EP Leave the Light On that includes three tracks reimagined for Apple Music Sessions, along with selections from the rest of the artists in the Up Next series: apple.co/upnextbaileyzimmerman