BigXthaPlug is basically the only person in 2026 who could pull this off without looking like a total sellout. If you've been following the Dallas rapper since the "Texas" and "Mmhmm" days, you know he’s got that booming, baritone voice that sounds like it was forged in a cast-iron skillet. But when he announced a full-blown country-rap crossover, people were skeptical. They shouldn't have been.
Honestly, the BigXthaPlug I Hope You're Happy songs aren't just a gimmick. This 11-track project, which dropped on August 22, 2025, isn't some executive-mandated "Nashville meets Trap" experiment. It’s a heartbreak record. Plain and simple.
BigX (Xavier Landum) didn't just wake up and decide to wear a cowboy hat because Shaboozey was topping the charts. He was mid-breakup. He was hurting. And as he told the New York Times’ Popcast, country music is just "heartbreak and liquor," which was exactly his life at the time.
The Tracklist That Bridged the Gap
The sheer star power on this album is kind of insane. We're talking about a guy who was writing bars on medical forms in a jail cell a few years ago, and now he’s got Darius Rucker and Luke Combs on speed dial.
The BigXthaPlug I Hope You're Happy songs are structured almost like a diary of a failing relationship. Here is what the core tracklist looks like for the standard edition:
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- I Hope You're Happy (feat. Darius Rucker) – The title track and a total tear-jerker.
- Gone (Interlude) – A short, 40-second punch to the gut.
- Box Me Up (feat. Jelly Roll) – This one is heavy. It’s got that soulful, "nothing left to lose" vibe.
- All The Way (feat. Bailey Zimmerman) – The massive hit that reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- Hell At Night (feat. Ella Langley) – A petty, scathing breakup anthem.
- Gift & a Curse (Interlude)
- Pray Hard (feat. Luke Combs) – A stadium-sized chorus that feels massive.
- Home (feat. Shaboozey) – A stomping, "ho-hey" style track about roots.
- 24/7 (feat. Ink)
- About You (feat. Tucker Wetmore)
- Long Nights (feat. Thomas Rhett) – A perfect closer for the original 11 tracks.
If you snagged the Deluxe version that came out later in November 2025, you got three extra gems: Cold featuring Post Malone, Holy Ground (Acoustic) with Jessie Murph, and a solo track called From The Bottom.
Why These Songs Actually Work
Most "country-rap" feels like a Frankenstein monster. It’s usually a rapper who doesn't know what a tractor is and a country singer who’s never heard a 808. But BigXthaPlug is from Texas. He lives this.
Take the lead single "All The Way." It’s got Bailey Zimmerman’s raspy, high-energy vocals clashing against BigX’s deep, steady flow. It shouldn't work, but it does because the production—handled by heavy hitters like BandPlay and Tony Coles—keeps the trap percussion crisp while letting the country guitars breathe.
Then you have "Hell At Night." Ella Langley is famously good at being "gorgeously petty," as some critics put it. The song captures that specific moment in a breakup where you aren't sad anymore—you're just annoyed and want the other person to feel as bad as you do.
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The Darius Rucker Connection
The title track, "I Hope You're Happy," is the emotional anchor. It starts with a bluesy lick and Rucker’s unmistakable voice. When BigX drops in, he isn't rapping about money or cars. He’s talking about his ex-girlfriend's mom. He’s asking if she’s still hitting the gym. It’s vulnerable in a way that’s rare for a "big stepper."
"You hurt my soul, I hope he heal yours / You let me drown, I hope he swim for you."
That lyric from the title track is probably the most selfless thing put to wax in 2025. It shows the nuance BigX brought to the table. He isn't just playing a character; he's writing a letter.
Managing the Backlash and the "Pivot"
Not everyone loved the move. If you scroll through Reddit or old Twitter threads from the release week, you'll see fans complaining that they "miss the old X." Even the album’s vinyl release had some drama—fans were annoyed that the signatures on the pre-ordered copies looked like a "complete mess" or "wildly different" from the marketing photos.
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But here’s the thing: BigX knew it was a risk. He even called the project "Not Just Country" during the early recording phases. He wanted to prove he was an artist, not just a rapper.
Interestingly, despite the success—the album basically lived on the Billboard 200 all through late 2025—BigX admitted he missed his roots. In that same Popcast interview, he said he’d already told his team he missed "the rap bag." He enjoyed the Nashville hospitality, but he’s a student of the South first.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Listeners
If you’re just getting into these BigXthaPlug I Hope You're Happy songs, don't just shuffle them. There's a way to experience this that actually makes sense.
- Listen in order: The interludes ("Gone" and "Gift & a Curse") actually connect the themes. It’s a 26-minute story. Don't break it up.
- Check the "Commentary Version": There’s a version on Apple Music where BigX explains the methodology behind the features. He chose people based on "soul," and hearing him talk about it changes how you hear the songs.
- Watch the "Box Me Up" video: Directed by Jerry Morka, it’s got this cinematic imagery of a burning house and Texas bluebonnets. It explains the visual metaphor of the album better than any review could.
- Don't skip the Deluxe: "Cold" with Post Malone is arguably one of the best collaborations of 2025, even if it didn't get the same radio push as "All The Way."
BigXthaPlug managed to do what very few artists can: he switched lanes without crashing the car. Whether he stays in this country-trap hybrid or heads back to the gritty Dallas sound he's known for, I Hope You're Happy remains a fascinating "temperature check" for where music shifted in the mid-2020s. It’s honest, it’s loud, and yeah, it’s a little bit country.