It’s really no secret—we’re obsessed with Sam Hunt. The songwriter-turned-solo artist has written some of our favorite radio hits of recent memory: Billy Currington’s “We Are Tonight,” Kenny Chesney’s “Come Over,” and the holy grail that is Keith Urban’s “Cop Car.” What’s more impressive—Hunt’s own versions of those tracks contain more gusto than the originals.
Everything about Hunt’s music defines modern country. The Georgia-born artist has southern roots, but grew up in a time where hip hop beats and production began its prevalence on radio. Lucky for Hunt, rhythmic beats and “rapping” have become a gimmick in recent hits from Blake Shelton’s “Boys ‘Round Here” to Jason Aldean’s “Dirt Road Anthem.” Where he distinguishes himself from the aforementioned superstars is in authenticity—Hunt’s genre-bending country music and dips into hip hop come off much more natural and less like a parody.
Hunt dropped a visual for “Speakers,” a highlight from his acoustic mixtape Between the Pines, a month ago and we’re still under his spell. While his current single “Leave The Night On” serves as a perfectly safe introduction of Sam Hunt as a solo artist to country radio, “Speakers” is a much more interesting track. “Speakers” is probably the closest thing you’ll find to a “sex jam” in the country genre. Backed by minimal acoustic production, Hunt’s deep, sultry vocals set the mood: “T-shirt for a pillow, music up real low, creeping through the window/ I can feel the bass line in the bed liner, and your heart on mine, tryin’ to jump up out of your chest.”
“Love in the back of the truck with the tailgate down just us and the speakers on,” Hunt rhythmically spits out the hook—creating an effortless genre fusion between country and hip hop/r&b. And there it is. If you’re not hooked after the first chorus, “Speakers” probably just isn’t your thing. But if you know what’s good for you, you might want to get familiar with country music’s newest It Boy.
Hear more from Hunt’s mixtape Between The Pines on his youtube page.