Fancy Hagood is in hot water and needs some help from his friend Michelle Branch.
On Wednesday, February 26, the country artist, 33, released the music video for his track “Isn’t That Life.” The video, which was premiered by Rolling Stone, features Hagood and Branch, 41, in a dramatic and darkly humorous situation. They argue over how to dispose of a body, recalling the vibe of the Dixie Chicks’ “Goodbye Earl.”
The video opens with Hagood, looking frantic, wrapping a lifeless body in plastic. He then calls Branch for help. “Oh my God, Fancy, what have you done?” Branch asks. Hagood quickly responds, “Quit asking questions. We don’t have a lot of time.”
Branch arrives, and together they help Hagood load the body into the trunk of Branch’s red Mercedes. “I can’t go back to jail,” Branch says, a line that seems to reference her 2022 arrest after a domestic dispute with her husband, Patrick Carney, which was later dismissed.
The pair drive off, harmonizing the lyrics, “Yeah you saw me, yeah honey I saw you too / Now, letting go ain’t ever easy to do, no.” They eventually end up at a house party, where the police crash the event.
As Hagood and Branch try to escape, they’re pulled over. The police open the trunk expecting to find a body, but instead, they find a note that says “Isn’t That Life.”
Hagood explained to Rolling Stone that the video was inspired by the iconic music video for “Goodbye Earl” by the Dixie Chicks. He and Branch imagined themselves as younger cousins of the characters Mary Anne and Wanda, caught up in similar generational patterns. “The song has a positive outlook on heartbreak, but the video has a dark storyline with a campy, humorous twist,” Hagood said. “When you can laugh about the tough times, you know you’ve truly moved on.”
“Isn’t That Life” is featured on Hagood’s 2024 album American Spirit.
In a recent interview with PEOPLE, Hagood shared his experience as an LGBTQ+ country artist. He recalled how, when he first arrived in Nashville, he was told being queer and a country artist wasn’t possible, which led him to put his dream on hold for a while. After some time in Los Angeles, he returned to Nashville, inspired by the changes in the city, and decided to pursue his country music dream once again. “I really decided I wanted to get back to my original dream and pursue why I moved to Nashville in the first place when I was 17,” he said.
