Sure, country music has always had a flair for romance, rodeos, and rugged boots — but the newest teaser from Orville Peck just raised the bar on queer cow-boy fantasy.
Peck, known for his signature mask and deep bass voice, enlisted actor Zane Phillips (yes *that* Zane) to star alongside him in a short promo video for his EP “Appaloosa,” which dropped on November 14, 2025.
The clip plays out like a gym-meets-saloon scene: Zane appears shirtless and sweaty, while Peck leans forward, asks him questions about working out and music — “So you like to work out?” “You work out a lot, huh?” “What kind of music do you listen to?” — with Zane replying “Country.”
When the teaser ends on the track “Drift Away,” the second song from the EP, it’s clear the tension between the two isn’t incidental — it’s *intended*, cheeky, exhilarating.
What makes this moment especially potent is the layered context. Peck is an openly queer country artist operating in a genre traditionally defined by hetero narratives. His choice to pair a shirtless Zane Phillips with flirtatious exchanges in front of the camera is a playful subversion of country masculinity — and a statement of queer presence.
The EP “Appaloosa” itself is built on that blend of tradition and queerness. Peck’s masked image, his cowboy style, and the glint of theatricality in his videos all hint that this is country music—yes—but done on his terms.
Fans and queer media outlets have been quick to pick up on it. The tease has been described as a “cruising fantasy,” and viewers across Instagram and threads reacted with unabashed delight at seeing a moment so tailored to queer desire and aesthetics.
Beyond the thrills, this matters culturally. As LGBTQ+ voices gain space in country music, the story of Orville Peck’s promo reminds us that representation doesn’t always wait for a full album drop—it can come in a minute of flirtation, sweat, and cowboy hat tipped just so.
So yes — cue the boots, the heat, the horseshoe luck. Because Orville Peck and Zane Phillips just made one of the steamiest gay country moments of the year. And somehow…it’s exactly what we needed.