Today, country music star Sam Hunt celebrates his 36th birthday. While the singer/songwriter didn’t start his solo career until his 2014 debut album, Montevallo, Hunt spent much of his twenties in the Nashville songwriting industry. Like many before him, like Toby Keith and Chris Stapleton, Sam Hunt moved on from writing for other country music stars and started writing for himself. Despite being 36 years old, Sam Hunt’s career is still very young. Here’s a recap of how he got to where he is now.
Sam Hunt Musical Career
After his dreams of playing professional football didn’t pan out, Sam Hunt eased his way into the Nashville songwriting scene. Through the early 2010s, Hunt wrote songs for country music legends like Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban. He boasts songwriting credits for hit songs like Kenny Chesney‘s “Come Over,” and Keith Urban’s “Cop Car.”
After a few years of writing for other country music stars, Sam Hunt decided to pursue his own career in country music. In 2014, he released his debut album, Montevallo. This album reimagined the relationship between hip/hop, R&B, and country music.
For example, the hit song “House Party” off of his debut album gave a new definition to pop-country. The rhythmic flow of the verses mixed with the classic catchy melody made country music palatable to the mainstream. While the song did not top the charts, so to speak, it did find its place in radio slots and party playlists around the country.
While Sam Hunt did not release his second full studio album until this year, he still secured spots on country radio. His rhythmic, almost hip hop flow continued to catch the attention of country music fans across the country. For instance, his hit song”Body Like a Back Road” spent 20 weeks at Billboard Hot Country Songs number one. This was the second-longest streak among county artists. The song later appeared on Hunt’s 2020 album, SOUTHSIDE.
Quality Over Quantity
Unlike many popular artists in the country music industry these days, Sam Hunt has prioritized quality over quantity in his music. While he may have only released two studio albums since 2014, his songs still seem to pop up on country radio. With his experience in songwriting, Sam Hunt has known what it takes to produce a hit song before he even had a hit song under his name. At a young 36, all country music fans are excited to see what he comes up with next.
[H/T Taste of Country]
