Luke Bryan Video For ‘Strip It Down’ Drips With Sentimentality

Two months ago, country star Luke Bryan debuted his steamy new song, “Strip It Down,” live on Jimmy Fallon. Fans who expected Bryan to release a video that matches up to the song’s steamy lyrics are in for something of a shock. According to Rolling Stone, Luke’s video does not require an X rating. In fact, Bryan’s video track does not even require parental guidance.

“Strip It Down” was co-written by Bryan and was reportedly inspired by Luke’s wife, Caroline. The song is a slow burning and sultry number that has Luke singing risque lines like “let me run my fingers down your back” and “dirty dance me slow in the summertime heat.” The lyrics may be suggestive, but the accompanying video sees Bryan trot out the sort of content that would be perfectly acceptable on the Disney Channel. The most suggestive moment sees a pink tie dropped on the ground.

The Boot expresses the view that Bryan passed up sultry and sexy, preferring instead to concentrate on sweet sentimentality. The video sees Bryan playing his piano in a candle-lit room whilst the scene is set by two friends, a city-dweller and a country boy exchanging locations for a romantic date with their partners. The country dweller gets suited and booted for his date, whilst the high flying businessman exchanges his power suit for denims and a flannel shirt.

As Bryan croons his sultry and suggestive lines, the city dweller collects his wife in a pick-up truck whilst the farmer collects his girl in a Rolls Royce.

The whole piece is as wholesome as mom’s apple pie, but somehow it suits the mood that Bryan has set with the music. “Strip It Down” is the second single release from Bryan’s fifth studio album, Kill The Lights, an album that Bryan is especially pleased with.

“I’m loving where I’m at with this album. It’s got new sounds, stuff that I haven’t done, but it’s also got some really, really country stuff on it, too, that kind of solidifies what I’m about and what I love. So I feel like I covered all my bases.”

It is likely that the vibe that Luke lays down will be appreciated by the fans who turn out to see Bryan perform on his latest “farm tour.” The tour sees Bryan “turning the cornfields into a party” on his seventh annual farm tour. The tour has Bryan taking his show onto farms in rural communities. Sadly, on the current tour, Luke has not been blessed with the best of weather, and as a result, two of the planned shows have had to be cancelled.

The farm shows give Bryan the opportunity to return to his rural roots. Luke is the son of a peanut farmer. Bryan also donates a proportion of ticket sales to the provision of college scholarships for children in rural communities. Luke encourages ticket holders to turn up to venues early to enjoy a barbecue and tailgate party.

It seems that some people are a little confused by the content of Bryan’s video. Direct Lyrics assumes that the two guys featured in the video are a gay couple and comment that “it isn’t every day that you see a gay couple feature in a country music video.” That may well be true, and it is just as true for Luke’s video.

Bryan’s Kill the Lights album was released on August 7 and sold 345,000 total copies its first week. Luke even managed to beat out Dr. Dre’s Compton to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. “Strip It Down” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s country chart, and peaked at No. 34 on Billboard’s Hot 100.

[Photo by Rick Diamond / Theo Wargo / Getty Images]