It’s not every day you hear an artist sing about faith, sin and forbidden love, but that’s what Bailey Zimmerman does in his new track, “Holy Smokes."

Zimmerman authored the passionate song with Austin Shawn, Ben Stennis, Lauren Hungate and Michael Tyler, and it finds him reminiscing a teenage romance he had — all in a church parking lot.

The storyline of “Holy Smokes” is as real as it gets. Right from the get-go, Zimmerman candidly recounts pursuing a relationship he wasn’t supposed to and the times he indulged in socially frowned upon things.

“Well, I was only scared of the devil and her dad / So we'd parked somewhere we knew they'd never look / Naw, I've never seen nothing like her / Playin' with the flame of her momma's lighter / Naw, it wasn't very long 'fore I was hooked,” Zimmerman recalls in the opening verse, before vividly describing his pseudo-spiritual adventure.

“Heaven was a preacher’s spot in that first church parkin' lot / Her hangin' onto me like the cross on the rearview does / Her eyes wеre blue, the words wеre red, on that half pack of cigarettes / At 17, that's what hallelujah was / Life wasn't heavy in the back of that Chevy / Me, her, and the holy ghost / Somethin' 'bout us, hell of a rush / Fallin' in love, lightin' up them holy smokes,” the Illinois native continues in the steamy chorus.

“Holy Smokes” arrives after Zimmerman drove up demand for it with his teaser clips on social media. The track serves as Zimmerman’s first new release following his debut record, Religiously the Album, and the Jonas Brothers-assisted “Strong Enough,” both of which dropped in 2023.

Zimmerman’s currently on his sold-out headlining Religiously the Tour with opener Josh Ross. For a full list of dates, visit his website.

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Who had the most played country song during the year you were born? This list is a fascinating time capsule of prevalent trends from every decade in American history. Scroll through to find your birth year and then click to listen. Some of these songs have been lost through the years, many of them for good reason!

Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes