Sam Hunt

2014–2016: X2C and Montevallo

In January 2014, it was confirmed that he had signed a recording contract with MCA Nashville. On August 12, 2014, he released X2C, a four-song EP, intended as a preview of his debut studio album. The EP debuted at number 36 on the US Billboard 200 and number five on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, selling 8,000 copies in its first week.

Hunt's first single for MCA Nashville was "Leave the Night On", which went to number one on the Country Airplay chart in October 2014 and has since been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The music video for the song earned Hunt two CMT Music Awards nominations, winning the CMT Breakthrough Video of the Year award, and nominated for the CMT Video of the Year award. His debut studio album Montevallo, was released on October 27, 2014. On the same day, Sam Hunt released Between the Pines: Acoustic Mixtape. The album is made up of acoustic versions of his hit songs, including his versions of ones that he wrote for other artists. Universal Music Group Nashville president, Cindy Mabe explained the date of the release: "The idea was to release it on the same date that Montevallo was released [in 2014] as a one-year anniversary gift to fans and Sam's way to offer more music and a thanks for the support". On November 5, 2014, Montevallo debuted at number one on the Top Country Albums chart and number three on the US Billboard 200. It opened with 70,000 units sold. The album included his own version of "Cop Car". The second single from the album "Take Your Time", peaked at number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The track spent 11 weeks at number one of Hunt's 17 weeks in 2015 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, making him the 16th artist in the chart's 57-year history – and the fifth in the past 50 years – to rule for 10 weeks or more. With Montevallo and "Take Your Time", Hunt became the first country artist since Clint Black to have his debut studio album and single to peak atop the year-end charts in the same year. In 2015, he served as an opening act (alongside Hunter Hayes) for Lady Antebellum's Wheels Up Tour.

Hunt was featured on Billboard for the issue of August 29, 2015, where he opened about breaking down country music stereotypes. He served as a background vocalist on Carrie Underwood's song "Heartbeat", which was released in October 2015. To commemorate the one-year anniversary of Hunt's debut studio album Montevallo, Between the Pines was re-released on October 27, 2015, peaking at number 31 on the US Billboard 200. Hunt won his first American Music Award for New Artist of the Year on November 22, 2015, in Los Angeles, California.

For the week of September 10, 2016, Hunt's fifth single "Make You Miss Me" from Montevallo, hit number one on the Country Airplay chart, thus making him the first solo male artist to land four number ones on the Country Airplay chart from a debut studio album. In March 2017, while playing a string of live shows with Tucker Beathard, Hunt debuted another song titled "Drinkin' Too Much", a song he wrote and recorded about his on-and-off relationship with his then girlfriend, Hannah Lee Fowler.

In May 2018, Hunt released the single "Downtown's Dead". He then announced another song titled "Nothing Lasts Forever", that had yet to be released from his second studio album while performing it at several live shows.

Hunt took a prolonged hiatus from social media and releasing music after the end of the What Makes You Country Tour with Luke Bryan. While performing at the Bud Light House Party event in Calgary, Hunt performed "Sinning with You" for the first time which he announced would be on his upcoming album. Hunt also announced that another single from the new album would be out shortly and the entire album would be released in early 2020. In October 2019, Hunt released "Kinfolks", his first radio single in over a year. "Sinning with You" was released in January 2020.

In February 2020, Hunt announced the title of his second album would be Southside and that it would be released on April 3, 2020. He accompanied the album announcement with the announcement of his headlining Southside Summer Tour with Kip Moore, Travis Denning, and Ernest as supporting acts, while releasing his next single "Hard to Forget" the next day. Hunt later cancelled the Southside Summer Tour amidst the coronavirus pandemic. On April 25, 2020, Hunt was featured on the remix of rapper Breland's single "My Truck".

In October 2020, Hunt released "Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90s" as the fifth single to country radio off Southside. In April 2021, he joined indie pop singer Sasha Alex Sloan on her single "When Was It Over?" which they co-wrote together with several other writers including Shane McAnally. In August 2021, he dueted with Ingrid Andress on "Wishful Drinking", and followed that up with the release of his single "23" in September 2021. In 2022, he released the single "Water Under the Bridge", and the promotional single "Start Nowhere". In 2023, he released a new single, "Outskirts", and announced that he will be going on tour with the "Summer on the Outskirts" tour.

Artistry

Vocals Writing for Billboard, Elias Leight observed Hunt's vocal performance, describing his vocal performance in studio sessions as a "rough, heartthrob voice that shines clearly", but noted that his live vocals "weren't always easy to hear". Leight further praised Hunt's delivery to be "a mix of speaking and rapid-fire singing that sets him apart from other country singers", but commented its impact was "diminished because of his live singing". Finally, Hunt's live performance of "Make You Miss Me" rendered the music writer "the clearest glimpse of his husky mid-range, smooth but rugged voice in a setting where there were no beats crowding him or guitars to compete with".

Influences Hunt's music contains elements of country, R&B and pop. Dwight Yoakam, while speaking to Entertainment Tonight, commented on Hunt's music, saying "It reminds me a little bit of, with the infusion of soul and southern R&B, with the things that happened surrounding the album that Ray Charles put out – the very historic album The Modern Sounds of Country Music back in the early '60s. It was a reinterpretation that not only intrigued country audiences at the time, but it brought a brand new audience to the country music world". His songwriting was heavily influenced by Brad Paisley, whose early hit "He Didn't Have to Be" had a big impact on him as a kid growing up in Georgia: "I remember being at church on Wednesday night at Wednesday night supper, and getting the keys from my mom well before it was over to just go sit in the car and to turn the radio on and hopefully wait and catch that song". "I want to sound different than everybody else", said Hunt talking about his musical style. "To use a football phrase, I try to zig when other people zag". Billy Dukes of Taste of Country, on observing "Break Up in a Small Town", referred the song as "likely the wordiest song of 2015" and Hunt's "most genre-bending release to country radio", adding "Any talk of which genre Hunt belongs in misses the point. His story hits hard. It's deep and emotional and sincere and all the things we expect from a great country song".

In a 2015 interview with Billboard, Hunt remarked on the position of women in his music, "Respect for women was a very important part of my upbringing", and added, "The women in my life demanded that from me". Hunt even named his album Montevallo, after the hometown of his wife, Hannah Lee Fowler, and consulted her in the lyrical production: "I spent a lot of time talking to her about the songs and asking, 'What do you think about this?' Her perspective was a powerful part of me being able to connect with a female audience, not just a male audience".

In a June 2018 interview with Taste of Country, Hunt said that his upcoming second album will be much like Montevallo, but after the release of the second album he plans to "get back to the foundation of the musical genre that he identifies with". In the same interview, he said "At some point his music will sound more like traditional country musician Tyler Childers".

Personal life In January 2017, it was announced that Hunt became engaged to Hannah Lee Fowler. Fowler, whom Hunt had been dating on-and-off since 2008, was the main inspiration behind his album Montevallo. Her name and their story are also referenced in his song "Drinkin' Too Much". They were married on April 15, 2017, in Hunt's hometown of Cedartown, Georgia. Fowler filed for divorce in February 2022, but later retracted her petition in May of the same year. In June 2022, Hunt announced the birth of their daughter, and in December 2023, Hunt announced the birth of their son.

Legal issues On November 21, 2019, Hunt was arrested in Nashville, Tennessee, after allegedly driving under the influence. On August 19, 2021, Hunt was found guilty of his DUI charge that occurred nearly two years before. As a result of the conviction, his drivers license was suspended for one year; and he was sentenced to jail for a period of 11 months and 29 days, which was suspended except for 48 hours. On January 20, 2025, Hunt was arrested in Henderson County, Tennessee, for refusing a breathalyzer after being pulled over for speeding. He posted a $1,500 bond, and avoided facing criminal charges after his lawyer was able to clear paperwork in court.

Discography

Montevallo (2014) Southside (2020)

Awards and nominations