Sam Hunt’s New Album Bends Genres And Redefines Country

I'm a music lover.  It's what got me interested in radio in the first place.  I get to be surrounded by music everyday.  I also have never subscribed to the theory that a song isn't "country" enough.  The country genre has so many different catagories to it, that I've always felt there was room for everyone.  So, I love it when an artist isn't afraid to push the envelope and take country in a new direction.  Enter Sam Hunt.

Sam has written number one singles for Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban, and his debut single, "Leave The Night On" is soaring high on the country charts right now.  His debut album Montevallo is out today, and is like nothing you've heard from a country singer before.

If Alan Jackson is traditional country, Florida Georgia Line bro-country, then Sam Hunt is R&B country.  One listen to any of his songs and you can feel pop, hip hop and R&B influences blended with just a bit of fiddle and banjo.  Personally, I think it's a breath of fresh air in a format that sometimes refuses to adapt.  There are a number of tracks that could be released as singles.  But that raises a question.

Will country radio embrace something thats different?  Will it take a chance of something that forces people to take another look at what is and isn't "country?"  I hope so.  Because the status quo is boring.