How a breakup led to Nick Hissom's queer, sex-positive music video

It's been an eventful few weeks for Nick Hissom.

The singer, art dealer, and socialite — Hissom is the stepson of billionaire Steve Wynn, and a staple of the Palm Beach scene — went through a very public break-up in March with his longtime partner, Kameron Ramirez. Hissom announced the split on social media, calling Ramirez a "cheater, liar, backstabber" in a fiery post, which was picked up by the tabloids.

As Carrie Fisher once advised, "Take your broken heart, and make it into art." And Hissom, who first launched as a singer in 2012, has done just that with his new single and music video, "So Cool Babe." Debuting with Out, the video — set in a steamy nighttime pool party — is an ode to moving on and finding new sparks with another person (or two).

The song is a splashy return for Hissom, who as an out artist set out to embrace queer sex positivity and push back against antigay stigma. The video also includes many notable cameos from influencers Reno Gold, Hazel Hoffman, Austin Casey, and Jakob Jokerst, who togethers "represent a broader conversation around beauty, labor, and queer visibility in media," Hissom notes.

See "So Cool Babe" and a Q&A with Hissom ahead.

What inspired the song (and music video for) “So Cool Babe”?
"So Cool Babe" is inspired by that breezy, noncommittal, pre-summer feeling of finding a new relationship in it's early and flirty fun stage. You're not in love, yet, you just think they're "so cool babe." After my devastating breakup six weeks ago, I wasn't going to write a heartbreak ballad or an ultra powerful sexy song — that just wouldn't have been authentic to me. I had to look at myself and say, "OK, this happened to you, but you're still young, you're still hot, you can still do so many things, there are so many amazing guys out there. Yes, I'm devastated, but it's cool babe — we're moving on."

You recently went through a breakup. (Apologies!) How did that experience influence you and your music?
When I had pursued music before in my early 20s, I was still closeted, so everything was wrong and I couldn't make authentic art. Suddenly, I found myself with all this freedom and free time that I had previously spent on my relationship. I have always loved and been passionate about music, so being able to now pursue it for the first time as an out artist who's brave and honest; to put hot guys (not girls) in my music video; to wear, say, sing, perform however I want; and at last, be my fully authentic self and answer to no one's judgement, is the scariest and also most liberating feeling ever.

The video is very sexy! Especially loved the threesome scene. Why was it important for you to highlight sex positivity?
The video plays with the idea of normalizing expressions of queer desire that are often deemed provocative, while similar scenes in straight culture are celebrated or go unquestioned. We’ve seen far more explicit nudity and sex — fully nude bodies, threesomes, orgies — in mainstream shows like Game of Thrones and others; yet because it's heterosexual, it’s accepted without a second thought. In contrast, my video merely implies intimacy, yet the presence of three queer men in a shower suddenly feels "shocking" to some. Why is that? If our culture idolizes a man having a threesome with two women, why shouldn’t the same freedom apply to gay men? If it’s not accepted, then we need to ask ourselves what that says about our values and the limits of our so-called inclusivity.

There’s quite a few notable cameos in the video, including Reno Gold, Hazel Hoffman, Austin Casey, and Jakob Jokerst. Why did you want these influencers to be part of the project?
I was truly honored to have this cast — each of them brought something distinct and culturally resonant to the project. Reno Gold and Hazel Hoffman are icons within the LGBTQ+ space: wildly successful, unapologetically visible, and emblematic of a new kind of stardom rooted in independence and self-made influence. In a culture that celebrates sex-positivity and self-expression, especially within queer communities, I wanted to honor that. Including OnlyFans creators was also intentional — many of them are incredibly hardworking, and their job requires a level of confidence, creativity, and emotional resilience that’s often overlooked. Austin Casey, aside from being striking on camera, contributed his perspective as a stylist and digital creator with real fashion-world credibility. And Jakob Jokerst, with his background as a high fashion model, brought a layer of elegance and industry validation that bridged the visual language of queer erotica and editorial sophistication. Together, they represent a broader conversation around beauty, labor, and queer visibility in media.

Tell us more about the queer creatives involved in the video and how its message relates to them.
The video is directed by Justin Campbell, who has shot for Vogue, V, and is known for creating iconic images of A-list celebrities that go on to become art. Justin's creative vision of a night-time sexy pool party really resonated with me and gave an otherwise bubblegum pop song an interesting edge. I have complete trust in Justin as we have been friends for over 15 years, and I knew he would make a very sexualized and potentially controversial (even though it shouldn't be) subject matter into something that was photographed, colored, and shot beautifully, and present it in a tasteful, chic, and artistic way. Ultimately, I had to have complete trust in Justin because I'm just a normal guy who was engaged six weeks ago, and now I find myself shooting naked in the shower in between Reno Gold and Hazel Hoffman, two of the most iconically hot men in the world, so that was pretty crazy for me and I needed to trust in Justin's process!

What was your own coming-out journey?
I came out at 26 years old, which I felt was late for me. I never really had "the big" conversation with my parents, or anyone; I just introduced my boyfriend as my boyfriend after dating him in secret for about six months — and didn't make a big deal out of it. In my head, I thought, what was there to make a big deal out of? Being gay or queer shouldn't be a big deal? Get over it.

How does it feel to release music as an out artist?
Releasing music as an out artist feels incredibly liberating. I'm not trying to make a statement about being queer — I'm simply doing what any straight artist has always had the freedom to do: Tell stories of desire, attraction, and joy through my lens. This shouldn’t be radical. A sexy pool party, people making out, a bit of nudity — it’s no different than what we’ve seen in countless mainstream videos. The only distinction is who's in the frame. My hope is that both LGBTQ+ and straight audiences see that there’s nothing "other" about this. In my world, no one’s asking about sexuality — it’s irrelevant. What matters is authenticity and connection. If that still offends someone, then that says more about the culture than it does about the content. And yes, I’m proud to stand up for that.

What’s next for you?
More music! More sexy videos! An album, a tour...everything. This is my dream and me living as my most authentic self. I've always had an excuse or a limitation that kept me from expressing that. I'm now done with living my life for anybody else. I want to help push LGBTQ+ positivity and culture, I want to end stigma, I want to write my heartbreak, and coming out, and pain, and experiences, and triumphs, and owning my sexuality into an incredible album that can inspire people to be unapologetically fearless and be themselves in every situation. There's so much that has happened to me, and it's happened at breakneck speed, out of my control, and all at once. I'm continuing to lean into that. I'm going to keep trying to use my creativity to lift others up — that is why I have always been drawn to music. It has the power to heal, and boy have I depended on it recently in getting me through everything. I'd be lost without the artists that inspire me.

I'm so beyond thankful to Out magazine for giving me this platform. Summer is about to be "So Cool Babe." Sending everyone the biggest hug, and I hope this video inspires you to be brave and be your best and truest self.