Hunter Hayes sits down with SweetBeatTV for a backstage interview and reveals his sweetest performance, the instrument he holds closest to his heart, and why it’s so rewarding to be a performer!
It’s everything you’ve ever “Wanted” in an interview!
For even more Hunter Hayes, check out his special Valentine’s message just for Sweety High here!
Check out this Hunter Hayes valogram, especially for Sweety High!
This video has all of us swooning! How about you?
Tell us what kind of Valentine you’d send to Hunter!
Hayniacs rejoice! Hunter Hayes appeared in a TV spot during last night’s Grammy Awards, hinting that a collaboration with Pepsi will bring big things this summer!
The ad promises that we should “Get Ready for Pepsi + Hunter This Summer.” With Hunter’s hits storming the charts, I don’t think that will be too much of a challenge!
The Grammy Awards are Sunday, and a lot of our very favorite artists are in the running to win!
Check out this list of a few of our favorite nominees!
Record of the Year
We immediately fell in love with Taylor Swift‘s instant classic, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” and we still can’t resist its charm! We think it’ll score the title of Record of the Year!
Song Of the Year
This was a tough call, but we think Ed Sheeran‘s touching and tragic song “The A Team” has the beautiful melody and emotional power to bring it the title of Song Of the Year. Carly Rae Jepsen‘s “Call Me Maybe” is a close second…
Best New Artist
Ever since our interview with Hunter Hayes, we’ve been obsessed! His talent and charisma have convinced us that he WILL grab the Best New Artist award this year!
Best Pop Solo Performance
There’s no way Carly Rae Jepsen’s preposterously catchy “Call Me Maybe” isn’t nabbing a Grammy this Sunday. We think it’ll take home the title of Best Pop Solo Performance!
Best Country Solo Performance
This second nomination for Hunter has led to a second prediction he’ll win! The piano powerhouse “Wanted” is a shoe-in for the title of Best Country Solo Performance!
Best Country Group Performance
Let the games begin! Taylor Swift & The Civil Wars’ haunting tune, “Safe and Sound“ was perfect in The Hunger Games, and we think it’s perfect in the category of Best Country Group Performance, too!
Best Country Album
We promise this is the last award we think Hunter Hayes will win this Grammy season! His self-titled album is undeniably beautiful, and the fact Hunter played 30 instruments on it impresses us beyond belief!
To gear up for our big interview with Hunter Hayes on the set of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno tomorrow night, we’d like to present you with our Hayniac Alphabet!
Learn everything you need to know about Hunter, from A to Z! Here’s the second half of the alphabet- Click here to see A-M!
N – Nashville
Hunter moved to Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 16 to pursue his dreams of becoming a country star, following in the footsteps of stars including Taylor Swift! Nashville is almost synonymous with the country music industry.
O – Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is the world’s longest running live radio program, based out of Nashville and specializing in country music. Hunter made his Grand Ole Opry debut when he was 19!
P – Piano
Hunter is an accomplished pianist, as demonstrated in his hit single “Wanted.” While Hunter usually writes songs with a guitar at hand, “Wanted” was written while he sat at a grand piano. The piano featured in the music video is covered in the song’s lyrics!
Q – 5th Quarter
Hunter Hayes was recently part of one of the most-watched television events of the year, Super Bowl XLVII! He performed during the Super Bowl 5th Quarter party after the game!
R – Robert Duvall
Hunter appeared opposite actor Robert Duvall in the film “The Apostle” at the age of 4! Duvall saw so much talent in the young accordionist that he gave Hunter his very first guitar! Talk about the start of an era!
S – Storm Warning
Storm Warning was the debut single from Hunter’s self-titled debut album. Hunter played every instrument on the track, as evidenced in the music video where a band of Hunters is his supporting band!
T – Through My Eyes
Many consider Hunter Hayes’ self-titled album his first, but Hunter actually released an album called “Through My Eyes” when he was only six years old! He even wrote his very first song for this album, aptly titled “Six Years Old.” Look at that little face!
U – Universal Music Publishing Group
Not long after moving to Nashville from his hometown of Breaux Bridge, Hunter signed with Universal Music Publishing Group as a songwriter. Under this deal he had the opportunity to co-write the song “Play” with Rascal Flatts!
V – Victoria Justice
Hunter Hayes performed a duet with Victoria Justice for the soundtrack of the 2011 Footloose remake! The song was also a remake “Almost Paradise” from the original film!
W – Wanted
Maybe Hunter’s best-known song, “Wanted” was an immediate hit. It went Gold within three months, and Platinum within five! It also managed to top the Billboard Country Charts for more than three months!
X – The X Factor
No, we’re not talking about the T.V. show, we’re talking about that impossible-to-describe quality that makes Hunter the real deal! From Hunter’s innate ability to pick up any instrument to his beautiful songwriting, everything he does make it seem he was born to play music!
Y – Youngest
Hunter Hayes has accomplished so much in his time as a musician, becoming the youngest artist to reach a handful of different achievements. In September of last year, he became the youngest inductee ever into the Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame. He’s the youngest solo male act to ever top the Hot Country chart with his hit “Wanted,” AND he’s the youngest country male to ever be nominated at the Grammys for “Best New Artist Of the Year” as well as “Best Country Album of the Year.” Maybe he’ll even take home those awards Sunday! Not too shabby for a 21-year-old!
Z – Zydeco Est Pas Sale
“Zydeco Est Pas Sale” was a song Hunter performed at the age of 11 on an album called “Honoring Our French Heritage.” Zydeco is a variation of Cajun and Creole music that prominently features the accordion. It’s a style Hunter was well familiar with in his early days! (You can listen to it here!)
To gear up for our big interview with Hunter Hayes on the set of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Thursday, we’d like to present you with our Hayniac Alphabet!
Learn everything you need to know about Hunter, from A to Z! Here’s the first half of the alphabet- Stay tuned for the second half!
A – Accordion
Hunter’s first instrument was a toy accordion. It was a gift from his grandmother when he was only 2 years old. His talents for accordion soon landed him spots broadcast across the U.S!
B – Breaux Bridge
Hunter was born and raised in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana until the age of 17, when he moved to Nashville, Tennessee. The city has an annual Crawfish Festival, which Hunter has played a handful of times!
C – Country Music Association Awards
Last November, Hunter Hayes was allowed the honor of performing his hit song “Wanted” onstage at the Country Music Association Awards. Not long afterward, he was awarded with the CMA for “New Artist of the Year.” All of his hard work and talent certainly paid off!
D – Drums
Hunter’s parents gave him his first drum when he was five years old. It was a Christmas gift! He’s still a fabulous drummer, playing all of the drums on his self-titled debut album, along with every other instrument heard on the album!
E – “Everybody’s Got Somebody But Me “
Hunter co-wrote “Everybody’s Got Somebody But Me,” a song on his self-titled album. Hunter says that it’s his favorite song to perform acoustically!
F – Figure It Out
One of Hunter’s first national appearances was on Nickelodeon game show “Figure It Out” in 1998, where a young Hunter stunned the panel with his talents on the accordion!
G – The Grammys
Hunter is a first-time nominee at the Grammys this year, but the big news is that he’s been nominated for THREE separate awards! He’s in the running for Best New Artist, Best Country Solo Performance for “Wanted,” and “Best Country Album” for his self-titled debut. We hope he nabs all three!
H – Hank Williams
At the tender age of 13, Hunter appeared on “America’s Most Talented Kid” and performed Hank Williams’ “Hey Good Lookin’” on accordion!
I – Indy Car
Hunter drove an Indy Car on Great America Country’s “Day Jobs” series. He says it’s the craziest thing he’s ever done!
J – Jambalaya
When he was 4, Hunter appeared onstage with Hank Williams Jr., son of the country legend, and accompanied him on the accordion to the song “Jambalaya!” This was also the tune Hunter performed on “Figure It Out!”
K – Keith Urban
Hunter Hayes considers Keith Urban one of his musical heroes. The two have performed together in the past, but Hunter hopes a collaboration is in their futures!
L – Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame
Hunter was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame two days before his 21st birthday, making him the youngest ever inductee!
M – Martin Guitars
Last year, Hunter Hayes became a brand ambassador for Martin Guitars, a guitar manufacturer best known for its steel-string and acoustic models. Hunter has long been a fan of the guitars, which are also used by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran.
Stay tuned for the rest of the Hunter Hayes alphabet, and don’t forget to tell us which celebrity you think we should cover next in the comments!
Victoria Justice attended the “Footloose” premiere at the Regency Village Theater in Westwood California on Monday where she posed with her duet partner Hunter Hayes.
The two adorable stars recorded the duet “Almost Paradise,” which is featured in the movie. The love song is so romantic and we can’t wait to see how it’s used in the movie when it hits theaters October 14.
Victoria Justice was looking gorgeous in a cut-out hot pink, black, and red floor length gown. We love the color-blocking look and we think she pulled it off perfectly. She paired it off with Black Brian Atwood pumps and some petal pink lipstick. What do you think about the look? Was it a fashion success or a fashion miss! Let us know!
Also check out the duet below. Are you melting at how cute the song is?
