Emerging Artist 2014 - Sam Hunt

Country music is already filled with great singers and songwriters, but here is an extremely talented artist that I believe will make a huge strides for the year of 2014. Sam Hunt is a former quarter back at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is now making his mark in Music City in the form of writing hit songs that have been recorded by some of country music’s biggest names and now making waves as a performer himself.

When first hearing him and his sound, you wouldn’t think of it as country music. But country mega stars such as Keith Urban (Cop Car) and Kenny Chesney (Come Over) have each recorded a song by Sam Hunt, as well as Billy Currington (We Are Tonight). The dude is extremely talented and has a killer, unique sound that appeals to more than just the country music market. He reminds me a little of a Jason Mraz and Andy Grammer, with smooth vocals but also the ability to speed it up lyrically in the form of a rap (check out his song “Saturday Night”), which is why I think he has the ability to do something special as a new artist.

You can find his single “Raised on It” on iTunes, he also has a FREE Acoustic Mixtape "Between The Pines" that you can download off of his website http://www.samhunt.com I highly encourage you to download and listen. Apart from his hit songs such as “Cop Car”, “Come Over” and “We Are Tonight”, I think his next hit song is “Leave The Night On” which is extremely catchy and has a great story behind it. Sam has a large variety of songs that I think will definitely get listeners excited about. He is currently on tour and playing venues around the country with fellow artists Little Big Town, Chase Rice, David Nail and Casadee Pope. He may be a small name now, but I believe that this year of 2014 will be huge for him and expect him to be a household name in the near future.

Find Sam Hunt Here:

@SamHuntMusic

http://www.samhunt.com

https://www.facebook.com/SamHuntMusic

http://www.youtube.com/user/SamHuntOfficial

Debut Album - Cole Swindell

He has solidified himself as one of the best songwriters in country music, now the Warner Music Nashville recording artist has entered a new market with the release of his self titled debut album. Swindell set the bar high for his debut album due to all of the hits that he has had a hand in writing, but have been recorded by other artists. This record is pretty much what I expected coming from Swindell, on top of the #1 hit with “Chillin’ It”, there is a great variety of songs ranging from anthems like “Hey Ya’ll” to the slower songs such as “Swayin” and “Dozen Roses & A Six Pack”.

What this album did was portray Swindell’s ability to write catchy songs with a great story behind them. I have this album doing big things this year, and it would be hard for Cole Swindell to not blow up on the country music scene with him opening for mega star Luke Bryan on his That’s My KindaNight Tour. What I’m looking for out of Cole Swindell as he continues on in his career would be to solidify an “identity” and continue to challenge himself as a songwriter and performer. Overall, I’m impressed with this album and if you haven’t checked it out, it’s definitely worth a listen! Buy here on iTunes.

My Top 5 off the album:

5. Hey Ya'll

4. Swayin'

3. Let Me See Ya Girl

2. Hope You Get Lonely Tonight

1. Chillin' It

Also, make sure to follow Cole Swindell on his journey through twitter @coleswindell and his youtube videos "Swindell Vision", see the first episode below:

My Valentines Day Date Wish List

With it being Valentines Day and all I found it only fitting to write about the three women in country music that I would most desire to take out on a date. So if I had three roses to give out, here’s who would receive them…

#3 – Jana Kramer

This actress turned musician is extremely talented on both the big screen and behind a microphone. Her debut album was filled with great songs such as “Hope It Rains”, “Goodbye California”, “Whiskey” and also her hit “Why Ya Wanna” which made it up to #3 in the Country Music Charts. The Warner Music Nashville artist is currently working on her sophomore album and has been playing new songs at her shows such as “That’s Hot”, “Deal Breaker” and “Hey Hey Kiss Kiss”. Also, from what I’m hearing, Jana is getting ready to release her latest single called “Love”, be on the look out for that. So here’s to you Ms. Kramer!

#2 – Kacey Musgraves

 This Texas native really made a name for herself this past year, and it showed at the 2014 Grammy’s by her taking home the awards for Best Country Song in “Merry Go Round” as well as Best Country Album for “Same Trailer Different Park”. Yes, she is extremely easy on the eyes, but even easier on our hearing, just take a listen to her songs “Merry Go Round” and “Follow Your Arrow” off her major-label debut album and you will understand what I’m talking about. I just hope her arrow is pointing at me in the future, here’s a rose for you Kacey Musgraves!

#1 – Taylor Swift

Some people are going to read this and wonder, but this is a no brainer for me. Based on talent alone Taylor is second to none. Now throw in her beauty and a great personality and she finds herself where most of her songs land, at #1 in my highly anticipated 2014 Valentines Day Date Wish List… If given the opportunity I would absolutely take Ms. Swift on a date, and if it went poorly it would absolutely end up in a form of a song one way or another. But I’ll take my chances and say that any publicity is good publicity. Happy Valentines Day Taylor!