Kaitlin Butts Viral Hit 'You Ain't Gotta Die (To Be Dead To Me)' Gets Video

08-20-2025

(EBM) Rising country/Americana singer/songwriter Kaitlin Butts has released the official music video for her viral anthem, "You Ain't Gotta Die (To Be Dead To Me)," a track that has taken on a life of its own across TikTok and streaming platforms.

Recently spotlighted in Variety for its runaway virality, the song has become a favorite for fans and artists alike, amassing over 123 million TikTok views, 8 million global streams, and inspiring thousands of fan-created videos that showcase its biting lyrics.

The track is featured on her critically lauded album Roadrunner!, which Holler described as "something worthy of the silver screen." The new video written and conceived by Butts and directed by Chris Beyrooty delivers on that cinematic promise. It harkens back to a classic western tale where the woman declared "unafraid to test boundaries," by Rolling Stone, is the one administering her own brand of wild west justice offering a striking and comedic take on the track.

"Making this music video was something I've wanted to do since I put out this album," shared Butts. "I've had the treatment for it since January 2024, when I was writing the videos for 'Wild Juanita's,' 'Hunt You Down' and 'Other Girls.' When 'You Ain't Gotta Die' started to have its viral moment, I was so excited to create something I've had in my head for so long. We looped in director Chris Beyrooty to help me bring it all to life and I could not be more pleased with how it turned out. I took some inspiration from some of my favorite movies, Holes, Django Unchained and Chicago. Expect a little dance with a side of blood, lipstick and justice."

The video follows the breakout success of Butts' 2024 album, Roadrunner!, which solidified her as one of the most inventive songwriters in modern country. She leaned into her lifelong love of musical theater and dreamed up a modern-day reimagining of the soundtrack to her all-time favorite musical, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!. It was praised as "epic, involved, entertaining, and thought-provoking" by Saving Country Music and hailed as "a brilliant showcase of what happens when you believe in yourself so much - and so well - that the world is left with no other purpose than to bend to your desires, whatever they may be," by The Tennessean while No Depression called Butts "one of the more creative songwriters making country music right now" the much buzzed about troubadour is showing no signs of slowing down.

With a fearless songwriting style that blends humor, vulnerability, and theatricality, Butts has earned a reputation for music that pushes creative boundaries. "You Ain't Gotta Die (To Be Dead To Me)" has quickly become a defining moment of her career, bridging the acclaim of Roadrunner! with the viral energy of a new fan-favorite anthem.

This year, Butts will bring her live show to stages across the country, joining some of the genre's biggest names. She will open for Lainey Wilson on her worldwide Whirlwind Tour, hit the road with Molly Tuttle on The Highway Knows Tour and join Ella Langley on her Still Hungover Tour. She will also reunite with Flatland Cavalry as part of their Flatland Forever(more) Tour, while making appearances at major fairs and festivals, including a highly anticipated set at AmericanaFest 2025.