Introduction
Religiously. The Album. debuted on May 12th, 2023, as Bailey Zimmerman’s first studio album. This highly anticipated album was teased mere months before and had gained severe traction in the time leading to its arrival. Released by Warner Music Nashville and Elektra Records, Zimmerman put the project out there detailing his heartbreak experience. Prior to the release, “Fall in Love” and “Rock and A Hard Place” both climbed to number one on the charts, effectively adding more hype to this album. The album peaked at number 7 on the Billboard 200 and became an instant success to the start of this country star’s career.
Zimmerman’s Debut
Prior to his major success he found in this project, Zimmerman worked in the meat-packing industry and for a union gas pipeline. Eventually posting Tik-Toks of his original music, his account was starting to find success. In January of 2021, he released his debut single, “Never Comin’ Home,” which peaked in the top 20 on Spotify’s Viral Chart. Using this success and the success found in the two major singles for Religiously, Bailey was signed to Warner Music and Elektra Records. Through his work with these records, he released his debut project, Leave the Light On, in October of 2022. Nearly six months later, Zimmerman went on to tease the project that jumpstarted his career.
Production
Production was headlined by Austin Shawn, with input from Bailey. They designed the album in a simplistic manner, leaning towards a very similar track style for each song. The acoustics were played by Tim Galloway throughout the album, and he does a phenomenal job at capturing Bailey’s story. Although many of the songs do sound alike, Galloway brings a different feel on a majority of the project. Songs like, “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” and “Pain Won’t Last,” feature two different feels to the project, giving it a little more diversity. While the production on the album does seem very simplistic, it does help convey the storyline Bailey put forth.
The Heartbreak Journey
Speaking about the storyline, the project follows Bailey through his heartbreak and his realization of the need to move on. The early tracks debut the story and hardships entailed throughout the end of the relationship. Initially, Bailey speaks on this breakup in a sorrow-filled and desperate manner. He pleads with himself to forget about the girl and lays out his regrets of the breakup in “Forget About You” and “Chase Her” respectively. The turning point of his viewpoint lays in “Pain Won’t Last” and “Where It Ends,” where Bailey finally begins his process of moving on. Realizing that he has more pride than he gives himself, he finally decides to move on and let the situation finally come to a conclusion.
Conclusion
The debut album of Bailey Zimmerman, Religiously, was a fantastic debut studio project in his young and bright country career. In 2023, Bailey truly solidified his name in the country scene and has given his fans promise for the future. This project certainly gave listeners high hope for his future projects and left them eager to hear what he has to offer.
Song Rankings:
- “Fall in Love”
- “Pain Won’t Last”
- “Religiously”
- “Get to Gettin’ Gone”
- “Chase Her”
- “You Don’t Want That Smoke”
- “Rock and A Hard Place”
- “Where It Ends”
- “Forget About You”
- “Warzone”
- “God’s Gonna Cut You Down”
- “Other Side of Lettin’ Go”
- “Fadeaway”
- “Is This Really Over?”
- “Found Your Love”
- “Fix’n to Break”
Strongest Track: The strongest track on this project, and arguably the most popular, lays in the hands of “Fall in Love.” Bailey talks about how his ex has moved on and has done all the things they planned to do with her new man. Believing this is all a ploy to realize that Bailey was the best she had, he speaks from the heart in an effort to help her fall in love with him again. Bailey’s vocals on this project elevate it to the next level, as his harsh voice contradicts the other tracks and conveys the utmost emotion on his part.
Final Notes
Song rankings are always subject to change over time, so don’t take these too to heart. They also are just our opinion. We would love to hear your opinions, so leave them in the comment section below. We also suggest subscribing to our blog. To do so, go under the tab “Contact” and fill out the form. That will allow you to receive emails of new blogs and maybe get them ahead of time. Finally, go give Religiously a listen for yourself.