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Cody Johnson has released a fan-created video of his latest single, 'Take Me Back (Leave Me There.)' The video is made up of specially selected clips from the over 17,000 that Cojo's fans sent to the 'Dirt Cheap' hitmaker.
"Two weeks ago, I asked you to send me your favorite memories for a chance to be in a music video," Cojo wrote on his latest social media post. "Within days, over 17,000 of you shared with me incredible moments from your lives," Johson continued.
'Take Me Back (Leave Me There)' is written specifically about a romantic memory involving Johnson and his partner. The fan-created video, however, takes a broader perspective to the song's sentiment of a memory so good you wish you could stay, rewind, and revisit it at any time.
Some of the videos sent in by COJO Nation feature clips of proposals, gender reveals, adventures in nature, rodeos, and more - all from the lives of Johnson's loyal fans.
Giving insight to fan interpretation of the hit, the coined 'COJO Nation Edition' of the song gives a whole meaning to the song's initial theme, giving a lovely reminder about how versatile and open to interpretation the songs we love are.
COJO's one rule for fans was this: send in a video of a memory you love. The 'Dance Her Home' hitmaker's ambition of wanting fans to play a role in the song's development, reminds us of when Zach Bryan embarked on a similar endeavor in 2022 with his fan curated 'Something in the Orange' video. Like Johnson's, Bryan's video is a collection of clips fans had sent in, only, whatever the video, it has to feature something orange.
Bryan himself wrote as the introduction to the video, "I decided to make this myself because it's a feeling I know we've all shared at some point," expressing the hit song's relatable nature and honesty that transcends to both Bryan and listeners alike.
Which is why we can only appreciate when an artist such as Johnson's magnitude takes the time to include fans in his projects. Videos such as COJO's latest refreshingly reinstates that music making is a service first, an art second, and a livelihood third. The songs and artists we all love, we love them for a reason - because at some point, any country tune we have on repeat, we play because it helps us relate poetically and look back in awe of our own experiences.
