Bailey Zimmerman and BigXthaPlug delivered the television debut of their new collaboration, “All The Way,” during the 2025 CMA Fest special.
The 25-year-old country superstar and 27-year-old rapper teamed up for a surprise performance of the new track that sent fans into a frenzy at Nissan Stadium. Zimmerman kicked off the performance with the opening chorus before welcoming BigXthaPlug to the stage for his verses.
“Don’t let me down easy, if you’re gonna leave me/ Baby, go and leave me all the way/ Don’t ask for all your things back, cussin’ out my name, yeah/ Just to go and take back what you say/ Burn all the bridges, don’t ask forgiveness/ Walk away like I’m someone you hate/ Don’t let me down easy, if you’re gonna leave me/ Baby, go and leave me all the way,” Zimmerman sang on the tune’s chorus before BigXthaPlug took on his verse.
“Ayy, if it’s over, it’s over, so f**k it/ Just don’t act like my love wasn’t nothin’/ Like I wasn’t the one you was holdin’ at night/ Tellin’ all of your secrets and huggin’/ Guess you right, it’s too good to be true/ What’s the point? All I needed was you/ But shit, time after time, all this fussin’ and fighting… Singin’ sad songs, but I’m knowin’ that this shit don’t last long/ If you leavin’, then leave ’cause your bags gone/ But just know, you can never come back home,” BigXthaPlug rapped.
Ahead of the show-stopping collaboration, Bailey Zimmerman knew from the moment BigXthaPlug sent him the demo of “All The Way” that he wanted to be part of it. “I feel like it was the perfect blend of our music. Even though I didn’t write the chorus and the hook, it feels like I could have written it myself, which is usually what I’m looking for when I’m collabing with somebody. And yeah, it just felt like right at the time, and I’m so glad that we did it. It’s freaking blessing. But yeah, shout out Big X. Thank you for letting me on your song.”
BigXthaPlug opened up about creating the song with Zimmerman. “So the creative process of ‘All The Way’ with Bailey Zimmerman, I mean, it was cool because for one, I made the song a couple of years ago and when I made the song, even with just the vocals that were on it already, we had a writer or something do the vocals,” he explained. “I knew it was a hit then, but when we kind of shipped it out, and we got Bailey’s verse, it’s kind of like we just knew.”
BigXthaPlug also shared that this was his first time attending CMA Fest and expressed gratitude for how warmly the country music community has welcomed his sound. “This being my first time at the CMA Fest, I mean, it’s a blessing to even be recognized enough to come and be allowed to come do something like this with the amount of meaning it has to the genre man. It’s a blessing,” he admitted.
“All The Way” will appear on BigXthaPlug’s upcoming country-leaning EP that has yet-to-be announced. While no title or date has been announced yet for the forthcoming country EP, the Texan rapper has previously shared that the project will include collaborations with heavy hitters like Jelly Roll, Post Malone, Ella Langley, Shaboozey, and more. He is also expected to release the collection sometime later this year.
Produced by BandPlay and Charley Cooks and written by Xavier Landum, Jenna Johnson, Kelly Katherine Johnson, Krishon Gaines, Ben Johnson and Charles Forsberg III, “All The Way” was released April 4 via 600 Entertainment/UnitedMasters.
Zimmerman and BigXthaPlug also dropped the music video for the buzzed-about collaboration.
2025 CMA Fest
Dubbed “The Music Event of Summer,” CMA Fest Presented by SoFi featured 30+ performances from some of Country music’s hottest stars, including Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Cody Johnson, Riley Green, Jason Aldean, Trace Adkins, Jordan Davis, Ella Langley, Megan Moroney, Parker McCollum, Ashley McBryde, Rascal Flatts, The Red Clay Strays, Dylan Scott, Zach Top, Keith Urban and more.
The three-hour broadcast also included unforgettable collaborations from the 2025 CMA Fest. Brooks & Dunn teamed up with Lainey Wilson for “Play Something Country” and with Marcus King for “Rock My World [Little Country Girl],” Dierks Bentley joined forces with Zach Top on “Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)” and a “Mountain Music” medley, Cody Johnson and Carín León performed “She Hurts Like Tequila,” Brandon Lake and Jelly Roll delivered a powerful performance of “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” Jason Aldean and Travis Tritt united for “It’s A Great Day To Be Alive,” Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins teamed up for “Hillbilly Bone,” and Bailey Zimmerman and BigXthaPlug showcased their new duet “All The Way” and more.
CMA Fest presented by SoFi was filmed at Nissan Stadium during Music City’s four-day country music festival, which took place Thursday, June 5, through Sunday, June 8. 2025 marked the 19th consecutive year that CMA has produced a summer concert TV special. The show is a production of the Country Music Association, executive produced and written by Robert Deaton and directed by Alan Carter. The 2025 airing marks the 22nd consecutive year CMA has produced a summer concert TV special.
The CMA Fest special aired on Thursday, June 26 at 8/7c on ABC and is available to watch on-demand on Friday, June 27 via Hulu.
