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BigXthaPlug visits Apple Music’s new studios
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Key Takeaways:
- I Hope You’re Happy explores heartbreak and personal growth, inspired by the artist’s real-life breakup.
- Visuals for “Box Me Up” and an album trailer add cinematic depth to the genre-bending rollout.
- I Hope You’re Happy follows the well-received releases Amar and TAKE CARE.
On Friday (Aug. 22), BigXthaPlug released his third studio album, I Hope You’re Happy. The 11-track project marks a shift in style by blending country influences with Hip Hop and featuring assists from Darius Rucker, Luke Combs, Thomas Rhett, Shaboozey, Bailey Zimmerman, and more.
The album builds on the momentum of “All the Way,” which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart. Much of the new project centers around themes of heartbreak, including the emotionally charged title track, which serves as a letter on wax to his former partner.
“It just so happened I went through every step of a breakup,” he revealed during a sit-down on The New York Times’ “Popcast.” “When you break up, you don’t just break up… especially when you really love that person. You break up. You don’t talk to them for a little bit. Then you see ‘em, ‘How you doing?’ You link up for a little bit. I went through every step of that, all while I was making this project.”
When asked about his experimentation with genres, he explained, “I really wanted to go a different lane with it at first. I wanted to just show I was an artist… the name of the project at first was Not Just Country.”
In addition to the release, the Dallas star shared visuals for “Box Me Up,” his collaboration with Jelly Roll. An album trailer, directed by Jerry Morka, featured cinematic imagery of a woman holding a Texas bluebonnet as a burning house loomed in the background.
BigXthaPlug originally pursued a football career before off-the-field challenges derailed those plans. He began writing music while serving time in jail, where he composed lyrics on medical forms. His debut LP, Amar, arrived in 2023, followed by TAKE CARE in 2024.
