Ashley Cooke Debuts 'baby blues' Video Featuring Matt Rife as World Tour Begins

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The video, directed by Josh Erb, features a poolside scene where Rife plays a waiter who flirts with Cooke.

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Country hitmaker Ashley Cooke premiered the official video for her current Country radio hit 'baby blues' yesterday (9/23). Co-starring comedian/actor Matt Rife, the flirty and carefree visual arrives nearly a week after Cooke embarked on the baby blues world tour — a continent-hopping headline run in support of her acclaimed self-titled sophomore album.

Directed by Josh Erb, the video for 'baby blues' fully leans into the breezy seduction at the heart of the song — a soulful stunner that recently stormed its way up Billboard's Hot Country Songs and the UK Country Airplay chart. Set beside a swimming pool on a sunny afternoon, the clip finds Cooke joining her friends in a laid-back hang while Rife plays the part of a waiter who serves them endless cans of Surfside. After Rife delivers her drink, he and Cooke lock into a quiet flirtation and begin trading lingering glances as the afternoon slips into night. Once the party winds down, Cooke follows Rife inside w here he soon sweeps her onto the counter for a kiss — only for a pair of her friends to catch them in the act.

Fueled by the effortless chemistry between its two stars, 'baby blues' marks a playful reunion for Cooke and Rife. During CMA Fest earlier this year, the singer/songwriter brought Rife onstage at Billboard Country Live at Category 10 while performing 'baby blues,' continuing a much-talked-about ritual in which Cooke searches the crowd for a baby-blue-eyed audience member and serenades them for the song's final verse. Now one of Cooke's signature songs, the longtime fan favorite hit No. 1 on SiriusXM The Highway's Hot 30 Countdown earlier this year.

On Monday (9/21), Cooke brought her 'it girl' Country style to daytime television performing her chart-climbing single 'baby blues' on Live with Kelly & Mark. Co-host Kelly Ripa was clearly on board with the 'baby blues' theme, rocking a baby blue look for the occasion and joking, 'By the way, I'm on brand right?' Delivering a standout performance for viewers nationwide, 'baby blues' has already amassed over 63 million global streams to date.

Along with 'baby blues,' ashley cooke includes standouts like her Country radio hit 'the hell you are,' the no-regrets breakup anthem 'xs,' the sharp-tongued but shimmering 'high school sweetheart,' and the heart-racing 'dance around it.' Released via Big Loud Records/Back Blocks Music and mainly produced by Dann Huff ( Rascal Flatts , Taylor Swift ), the 15-song LP quickly earned praise from the likes of Ones To Watch , who noted that 'at times pretty but messy, angry yet healed, the record captures the complicated emotions that come with growing, changing and finding yourself.'

Cooke's the baby blues world tour continues tonight (9/24) at Irving Plaza in New York City. Currently scheduled through February 25 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, the 28-date trek includes stops at venues throughout the US and UK, including 9:30 Club in Washington, DC (September 18), El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles (October 8), and Koko in London (January 29). For more info, visit ashleycooke.com .

One of Country's most magnetic young storytellers, Ashley Cooke made her debut with 2023's shot in the dark and soon scored her first Country radio No. 1 with 'your place' — a GOLD-certified, Billboard Hot 100-charting hit that later won a 2024 CMT Music Award for Breakthrough Female Video of the Year. She has since garnered nominations for New Female Artist of the Year at the ACM Awards and Best New Country Artist at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. While building up a body of work including 2025's ace — a nine-song project featuring her Country radio smash 'the hell you are' and longtime fan favorite 'baby blues' (a No. 1 hit on SiriusXM The Highway's Hot 30 Countdown) — Cooke has collaborated with artists ranging from Joe Jonas ('All I Forgot') to Brantley Gilbert ('Over When We're Sober'). She has toured with Luke Bryan , Parker McCollum, Kane Brown , and recently hit the road as support for Jon Pardi's HONKYTONK HOLLYWOOD TOUR. Cooke made a cameo appearance in March on CBS' Marshals, the spinoff of Yellowstone, just before heading overseas for C2C: Country to Country 2026, including a performance at the O2 Arena in London. Following the release of her self-titled sophomore album, she is now on the baby blues world tour — a 28-date global headline run launched on September 17 that will continue through February 25 at the Ryman Auditorium.

Photo Credit: Matt Leddo

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/Ashley-Cooke-Shares-baby-blues-Video-With-Matt-Rife-20260924)._