Country-rock artist HARDY took the country music scene by storm a few years ago when he made the transition to a solo career after being a writer on hits like Morgan Wallen's "Up Down" and Blake Shelton's "God's Country". His style brings a refreshing edge to country music that we don't get to hear a lot, and he plans to bring us more of that edge on September 26th with his upcoming release, COUNTRY! COUNTRY! Here is what we can tell you about it so far.
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Earlier this week, the singer dropped a teaser for his new song, which he released today as the first single off his upcoming project. The song, titled "Bottomland", explores heavy themes of childhood and being accepting of where you come from. It has a repeating chorus that is more like a refrain, and gives tribute to HARDY's hometown of Philadelphia, Mississippi.
"Bury me in Bottomland, with my grandpa's rifle in my hand / Lord take me as I am and bury me in Bottomland"
" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;margin: 1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:99.375%;width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);width:calc(100% - 2px)">In a recent Instagram post teasing the song's release, the singer said, "As a proud Mississippian, I am beyond excited to sing a song that represents this state so well. This is Bottomland."
Fans Think New Album Will Be A "Return To Country HARDY"
Philadelphia, Mississippi, is a small town of about 7,500 people, where the singer says he grew up listening to all kinds of music, but especially rock and roll and country. "Growing up in Philadelphia, that pretty much set the mold for who I am as an artist and as a writer," he told Dish in their Hometown series on YouTube. So far, it seems like HARDY plans to return to a lot of those country roots inspired by his hometown in his new release, COUNTRY! COUNTRY!.
In 2024, the singer released his album, Quit!!, which received mixed reviews due to HARDY's blend of country music with a more rock-influenced sound. The album featured collaborations with rock icons like Fred Durst and Chad Smith, but many country fans weren't impressed, saying that it wasn't quite country enough to be considered a part of the genre.
However, it looks like this new album is going to be an extension of HARDY's 2025 EP, COUNTRY!, which fans welcomed happily as "a return to country HARDY." He shared a statement regarding "Buck On The Wall" and "Favorite Country Song", two of the songs off the EP, giving possible insight into the vibe of his new record.
"Both songs remind me of a very special place, the place where I grew up, the place where I became who I am: my deer camp. It's now the only place I have to go home to since somebody lives in my childhood home. I feel like it's been a long time coming to put out some music that gets back to my roots."
Whether he plans to stick with his roots or surprise us all with a more rock-influenced sound, we're excited to see what HARDY has planned for his fans' ears. More importantly, we can't wait to learn a little bit more about "rock HARDY" and "country HARDY" with the release of his new album, COUNTRY! COUNTRY!, dropping September 26th.
Photo by: Steve Galli/Shutterstock
