A new version of the song featuring bluegrass singer and musician Billy Strings was released on February 28, 2025, as part of their collaborative extended playMe & Billy.[3]
Background
Following years of recording as a bluegrass performer, Top pivoted to country music, and in September 2023, it was announced that he was signed as the flagship artist for the newly-formed independent record label Leo33.[4] His debut album, Cold Beer & Country Music was announced on January 8, 2024, with "Bad Luck" featuring as the seventh track.[5] Top co-wrote all twelve of the album's tracks with producer Carson Chamberlain, with three songs, including "Bad Luck" co-written by the duo along with Mark Nesler.[6]
Lyrics and composition
"Bad Luck" is a blues-inspired neotraditional country song that has been described as a “dive bar anthem”.[7] Lyrically, it tells tell the story of a gambler who just can’t catch a break. The song sees him losing everything. However, his luck turns around when he meets “the one.”[8] The narrator describes various cases of running into bad luck, including seeing a black cat, losing his rent money playing the lottery, and several failed relationships, but feels that his unlucky streak is over now he has found a new love interest.
Music video
The music video for "Bad Luck" was directed by Citizen Kane Wayne and premiered on October 31, 2023. It begins with Top driving his pickup truck down the street at night, interspersed with various scenes of him at the local bar: playing poker, drinking, playing his guitar, and playing pool.[9]
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