This Week’s Backstage Country Host: Tyler Hubbard

Backstage Country’s Elaina Smith will have a new co-host this week! Tyler Hubbard, the only artist to start two separate careers with three consecutive number one songs and one of Nashville’s premier songwriters, will guest host not only to play good country music, but to give the fans a glimpse of what he’s up to.  

Hubbard shared that the idea of releasing “5 Foot 9” as his first single as a solo artist came to him in the shower, an idea that paid off in the end. The singer-songwriter admitted, “I remember the moment when I decided this was gonna be my first single, and that was in the shower, which is where I have a lot of my thinking.” He chuckled, “Yeah, I don’t know. It's probably just because we're away from our phones for a second, in our birthday suit, and you're just there.”  

He added, “You're just vulnerable. You got nothing else to do but think and wash your hair.” He laughed. But yeah, I just remember it hit me. I remember getting out and texting my team, ‘I think ‘5 Foot 9’ is the one. I'm feeling like I'm ready to commit to this. So that was one of those core memories that are sort of ingrained in my process there at the beginning of my career.”  

Smith asked Hubbard to confirm a story that Keith Urban knew the song they co-wrote together with Ross Copperman and Jon Nite, “Dancin’ in the Country,” was going to be number one. The father of three said, “Yeah. I think he had had a good gut instinct on this one. We got together and wrote this together. He was part of the inception of this song and brought a lot of Keith Urban energy, and it was an incredible kind of day to get to work together. We were all pumped. We knew he had written a big song, and it felt like a fun song and potentially a big song. So, I was sitting there thinking, ‘Yeah, I think we got Keith Urban’s next single. I think he's gonna love this. He's surely gonna cut this song.’”  

Side note: See Terry Crews dancing in the official music video.  

Hubbard continued, “Then he texts me as soon as we leave. He's like, ‘I think we just wrote your next single, buddy.’ I'm like, ‘I'll take it. From your lips to God's ears.’ It did work out great, and I'm thankful, so thankful for that song and even from day one getting to write it with Keith was incredible. And grateful to hear it on the radio, and it's been a blast to play live well.”  

Tune in to Backstage Country from July 28 to August 1 to catch Tyler Hubbard as your co-host. He’s sharing stories, spilling secrets, and serving up all the country vibes you love.