Out recording artist Chris Housman’s new music video, “Guilty As Sin,” serves up a scintillating country boy romance.
Housman’s sexy, fluid vocals and the guitar-driven, touch-of-blues soundscape create an intoxicating blend of sonic serotonin as the lyrics reveal his aching, authentic heart.
I gave it my best / But this halo don’t fit
If I had to spend forever in heaven without you might as well be in hell
My verdict is in / Cause baby if loving you is wrong
Then I’m guilty as sin
The music video, featuring Housman with hunky Gabe LaDuke, conjures up a close-to-perfect date night for two country boys.
“As someone who grew up glued to the TV watching music videos but didn’t see a lot queer love stories in country music, being able to create one myself means the world to me,” Housman told CMT. “I hope anyone walks away with an ‘awww’ feeling by the end of the video.”
The reactions to the music video, directed and produced by Ford Fairchild, are overwhelmingly positive thanking Housman for being an out and proud country music artist they can relate to:
• “Holy hell! I never thought I’d live to see the day when a gay country artist so boldly & courageously burst onto the scene. Thank you, Chris. I’m in tears or joy.”
• “I grew up gay in a rural small town in Colorado during the 70s and 80s listening to country music. It is impossible for me to imagine what my life would have been like, if I had the chance to hear a song and see a video like this growing up. Thank you Mr. Housman. Keep up the great work!”
• “I’m a retired military veteran from Ohio and a lifelong country music fan and FINALLY they made a country song about me! Me…Love is love and I love this song and this video. My heart is bursting.”
Responding to one comment, Housman says he “wrote the song and took the video in the direction with my younger self in mind who would’ve had his life changed by seeing a video like this. So glad it’s resonating with folks.”
The Kansas native was featured in the VICE News documentary Big Freedia Presents: Young Queer Artists To Look Out For, which has been nominated for a GLAAD Media Award this year. The doc-film showcases three young queer artists and the spaces that helped shape them, showing how music is integral to creating a community for queer people to find themselves.
Chris Housman’s debut album Blueneck is scheduled for release May 31. Check him out below watching his music video premiere on CMT up on a huge screen in NYC’s Time Square.
