"Holy Smokes" is a song by American country music singer Bailey Zimmerman. It was released as a promotional single on February 23, 2024, after being teased across his social media platforms, and was released on June 10, 2024, as the lead single from Zimmerman's second studio album, Different Night Same Rodeo.
Background On January 26, 2024, a mysterious 15 second a cappella recording was released on Bailey Zimmerman's Spotify account. It was titled using emojis. Fans speculated it would be a snippet of his next single. The title "Holy Smokes" was revealed on January 29, 2023, through an extended 40 second snippet published on his social media platforms. The snippet went viral, achieving millions of views within a day.
He performed the song live for the first time during the opening show for Religiously. The Tour. on February 1, 2024. After weeks of anticipiation, Zimmerman announced the song on February 16, 2024. It was released the following week.
Content Bailey Zimmerman wrote the song with Austin Shawn, Ben Stennis, Lauren Hungate and Michael Tyler. Jeremy Chua of Taste of Country described the song as a nostalgic ballad that blends themes of romance and spirituality, portraying nights filled with rebellion and youthful affection in the setting of a church parking lot. It was complemented for its elegant piano, energetic percussion, and emotionally charged country-rock chorus.
Zimmerman described the song as a track that "takes me back to the first time I fell in love at 17".
Commercial performance "Holy Smokes" debuted at number 13 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated March 5, 2024. It also debuted at number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100. It peaked at number 10 the week of April 26, 2025, making it his first single to miss number one.
Charts
Weekly charts + Weekly chart performance for "Holy Smokes" Chart (2024–2025) Peakposition New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) 19
Year-end charts + 2024 year-end chart performance for "Holy Smokes" Chart (2024) Position US Hot Country Songs (Billboard) 37 + 2025 year-end chart performance for "Holy Smokes" Chart (2025) Position US Country Airplay (Billboard) 39 US Hot Country Songs (Billboard) 39
Certifications
Release history +Release history for "Holy Smokes"RegionDateFormatVersionLabelVariousFebruary 23, 2024OriginalUnited StatesJune 10, 2024https://x.com/USRadioUpdater/status/1798001265831780635Country radio
References