This Week’s Guest Host: Hardy

Author Lauren Hoffman

March 17th 12:00 AM

Hardy

Hardy is this week’s guest host on Backstage Country (March 18-22).

The country star joins Kelly Ford in the studio all week to discuss new music, his 2024 touring schedule, who would be on his personal Mount Rushmore, what he nerds out over, and more. Plus, we hear from Hardy on his upcoming CMT Crossroads special with acclaimed rockers Nickelback.

RELATED: Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Hardy Among 2024 CMA Fest Lineups

Hardy is fresh off the release of his new single, “ROCKSTAR,” which he says is his “REDNECKER for rock n roll” and is the first song that he’s released to date that “doesn’t take itself seriously.” The song follows his 2023 album The Mockingbird & The Crow, which contains a mix of country and rock music, and his 2024 release of “QUIT!!”

Hardy also speaks on his journey to becoming one of the biggest names in music today. From the day someone literally wrote “Quit” on a napkin, to now filling up arenas around the world.

“I enjoy having a chip on my shoulder. It inspires me to make more [different] music. That’s such a paradox because I feel like a lot of times, the more I push boundaries, the more like pats on the back you get,” Hardy told Ford.

He continues, “Thankfully my parents have always been really supportive, but I’ve had people in my life that have not been. I think at the end of the day, that’s just fuel to your fire and your drive.”

The singer-songwriter will hit the road in May for his headlining Quit!!! Tour with special guests Kip Moore, Travis Denning, Ella Langley, and Stephen Wilson Jr. Hardy will also perform at some of the biggest festivals across the country this summer, including Watershed, Faster Horses, Country Thunder, and more.

Click Here To Find Out Where To Listen

Check back all week for more from Hardy on Backstage Country. For more information, visit hardyofficial.com and follow Hardy on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok to see more.

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4 HARDY Songs That Made Him A Star

"Give Heaven Some Hell" (2021)
HARDY said that “Give Heaven Some Hell” is a “stirring” tribute to anyone who has lost a loved one. He said it is one of his favorite songs that he has ever written. When he released it, he said, “I just hope this helps anyone that’s ever suffered a loss of a loved one. I’m excited for this song to exist in the world.” The chorus includes the lyrics, “I hope you hit those gold streets on two wheels / I hope your mansion in the sky’s got a ten-acre field / With some mud and some hubs you can lock in / Make some thunder, make ’em wonder how you got in / Hide your beer, hide your clear from the man upstairs / Crank it loud, hold it down ’til I get there / And when I do, I hope you got some new stories to tell / ‘Til then, give Heaven some hell.”
"One Beer" Featuring Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson (2020)
“One Beer” tells a story about how just a single Bud Light led to an out-of-wedlock pregnancy and a shotgun marriage. Though the twist of fate resulted in the shelving of life plans, there is the ultimate blessing of a happy family of three. The song reached number one on the country charts, becoming HARDY’s first number-one as an artist.
"Rednecker" (2019)
This was HARDY’s very first single from his debut album. The music video was shot on a farm in Cottontown, Tennessee, and features some of HARDY’s songwriting collaborators: Brett Tyler, Joe Clemmons, and Benjy Davis. The group was able to relax and have a fun day just being buddies and hanging out. Their day consisted of mudding, mattress surfing via his jacked-up 4×4, shooting catfish in a lake, paintballing, and shotgunning Busch Lights.
"Wait in the Truck" Featuring Lainey Wilson (2022)
HARDY’s biggest hit as an artist. This modern day murder ballad has been certified platinum, selling almost one million copies. The song’s dramatic video won Collaborative Music Video of the Year at the 2023 CMT Music Awards and was nominated for Video of the Year. The song and video won Musical Event and Video of the Year at the 2023 ACM Awards. The song depicts a man who, upon finding a battered woman on the side of the road, confronts her abuser in his trailer, shooting him when he reaches for his shotgun, killing the abuser. The video has been viewed on YouTube over 63 million times.