BigXthaPlug made a surprise appearance at the hometown screening of his short film, which is a companion piece to his “Better Over Time” record dropping on Friday.
Bryson Paul
On Monday night, BigXthaPlug came home to North texas to give hometown fans the chance to hear his new album, “Better Over Time,” and view its companion short film at Cinemark in Addison before just about anyone else in the nation.
“There’s never been nothing done like this before from a Dallas artist,” Dee ‘DJ Bubba’ Brown, the rapper’s DJ, told the audience before the “Better Over Time” short film screening.
“Better Over Time” is BigX’s fourth solo album and marks his solo return to hip-hop after chart-topping success in country with 2025’s “I Hope You’re Happy.” The new album centers on exploring the price of fame and features an all-star guest list, including GloRilla, Lil Yachty, Loe Shimmy, Leon Thomas and Fridayy. Across 18 tracks, the record showcases his evolution from one of hip-hop’s most powerful voices to one of music’s biggest stars in any genre.
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The album’s short film follows the rap star’s life through his parents’ eyes, ultimately ending on a cliffhanger that we won’t spoil. The film also includes footage from the BigXThaPlug and Friends Birthday Bash in South Dallas in May of this year. To roll out the project, BigX gave fans an authentic movie-night experience at Cinemark, complete with popcorn, drinks and other theater treats. After rapturous applause, the film was met with demand from the audience for the film to land on streaming platforms.
BigX, who was on-hand for the screening, thanked fans, emphasizing that the short film is only the start of something bigger he has planned for the theatrical project. To the audience, which included his own family and friends, he said, “First off, I just want to say, I appreciate all of y’all for doing what y’all did, man. For even being here. Celebrating me and supporting me all the way through. I hope y’all enjoyed the show, man. We’re going to try to turn it into something long. I know it might have been real short, but I promise y’all we’re going to turn it into something longer, and we’re gonna make this something, for sure. ‘Better Over Time,’ the album. I appreciate y’all.”
The highly-anticipated album was first teased in June when a snippet of the song “Give It All” made its way across social media. Since then, the album’s singles have included September’s “Lite,” featuring rap star Belly Gang Kushington, and “Burn” featuring Ava Max, released ealrier this month.
After the film, BigX shared an exclusive listen through the album from start to finish. Thematically, the new material finds X addressing claims that he “fell off,” dealing with fake friends, familial issues and the loneliness that comes with being one of the world’s biggest artists. His music has chronicled similar issues before, but on “Better Over Time,” he unapologetically embraces his success while reconciling with the love he lost during the journey to it all.
His collaborations on the record drew the biggest reactions of the night: “FAF” featuring GloRilla, “Heal Me” featuring Fridayy and “No Limit” featuring Leon Thomas in particular had the room buzzing the most. He’s not done dominating other genres, either — on the record’s eleventh track, “I Like It,” he raps about plans to make pop music.
BigX did a mic-drop on the already-momentous night with a performance of “Give It All” for all the guests out in the movie theater’s lobby. The biggest (and largest) artist was all smiles between shots as he joked with his crew and the crowd. It was good for him to be home, it seemed, and it was even better to have him home and surrounded by his people for the special moment. Houston, Miami, Charlotte and Los Angeles are next for the “Better Over Time” film and album listening experience, but based on last night, we know there’s no place like home.
“Better Over Time” will be released on Friday, Oct. 30.