One of Nashville’s biggest up and coming artists has a lot more to him than people may realize. The chart-topping Sam Hunt once was a highly touted high school football player who went on to play quarterback at Middle Tennessee State before transferring to play at UAB. His talents on the field were enough to warrant him an invitation to an NFL training camp but his NFL career never took off. That may not be a bad thing, especially for us.
After making the move to Nashville to pursue music, Hunt wrote songs with the likes of Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban and Billy Currington. Chesney’s “Come Over,” Urban’s “Cop Car,” and Currington’s “We Are Tonight,” are a few of the well known songs he has written.
Hunt’s style is also unique, traversing genres to bring a blend of R & B, Country, Pop and even some EDM influences. In an October 2014 article interview with Marissa R. Moss of the Rolling Stone he explains his unique sound saying, “I am from the country, and I grew up mostly influenced by country music,so by the definition I have, these are country songs, not pop songs. Even though there may be a pop element, pop is an ambiguous word and can mean a lot of different things. I’m not trying to become a pop artist, and I’m not trying to make sure I stay a country artist. I’m just trying to make sure I make the best music I can, according to my way.”
His debut full-length album “Montevallo” reached #1 on the country charts and the top 3 in nearly every other. The first single off of the album, “Leave the Night On,” went platinum (at least one million sold). No matter what kind of music you’re into, you’re bound to find a song on it that you enjoy.
In an article written by Dacey Orr of Wondering Sound, Hunt gave his opinions about the direction country music is headed and the changes in the overall sound of country music. He said, “I do believe that it’s breaking down some of the stereotypes that have prevented people historically from giving country a chance. So I think that’s a good thing.”
Hunt has recently embarked on his first major headlining nationwide tour, of which many shows have sold out. This summer he will be touring with the likes of Lady Antebellum and playing some of the country’s biggest festivals.
Though he has only released one full-length album to date, Hunt has found great success in a hurry. Look for him to build on this momentum and release new music in the coming year.
By Jesse Gentry
