This is the most hype I have seen surrounding a music video in quite some time.
Zach Bryan has taunted the internet over the last week when he announced that he teamed up with Matthew McConaughey for a cinematic music video for his track “Nine Ball.” All of this started when Zach Bryan did a pop-up show at Austin’s historic Sagebrush, where a limited number of fans were let into the venue for an acoustic show. From the clippings of the surprise set, it seemed like it was the start of a larger project, which was revealed shortly after.
Bryan has really leaned into cinematic storytelling in the creation of this music video, focusing heavily on the “Great American Bar Scene” he champions and the lyrics of the song “My father was a betting man.”
The Oscar-winning actor wasn’t the only heavy hitter that ZB enlisted for this project; he also brought in Tye Sheridan and Scott Shepard.
Last week, fans were given more of a snippet of what was in store when ZB posted a small section of the video showing a drunken, gambling-addicted father bringing his son to the local watering hole to hustle the pool tables.
Although, the pool table was racked for a game of 8-ball… not 9-ball. Just saying…
While fans could guess what was in store for the rest of the video, today’s ability to watch it fully highlights the thoughtfulness of telling this story. Each scene from the video perfectly matches the lyrics for the track off of the Boys of Faith EP.
The video shows McConaughey showing his son the ropes of shooting pool, and as the song goes on, the son grows up to become a pool shark on his own. His father uses his son as a pawn to keep betting on games, knowing he will win till one game goes south. A massive bar fight breaks out, and his son has to help him out of the bad scene, running to his rescue.
“I don’t wanna bet but my daddy wrote a checkThat I bet his ass could never cashHe’s betting on the eight ball landing in the side wallCold-blooded killer if you ask…”
As the two exit the bar, a grown man helps his father out of the bar, but as soon as they cross the threshold of the Sagebrush front door, the father is carrying his young son in a flashback—a full-circle moment.
The short film brings the lyrics to life, further highlighting the incredible track. Check it out.
