Hunter Hayes Gifts Himself to Celebrate Chart-Topping Single, ‘Wanted’
Having the first chart-topping single of your career is a very big deal. Having that song top the charts for two weeks is even a bigger deal, as Hunter Hayes experienced earlier this year with his hit song, ‘Wanted.’
Since hitting No. 1 with the tune, Hayes has also picked up multiple awards, including the 2012 CMA New Artist of the Year trophy. He has also been on the road with Carrie Underwood as her opening act on her Blown Away Tour. The 21-year-old revealed to Taste of Country that his celebrating has been muted, but he’s especially excited about a recent purchase.
“I definitely bought my watches,” Hayes says with a laugh. “I’m a watch freak. It’s funny, because when ‘Wanted’ went No. 1, I had to decide between two watches. When it went No. 1, I bought this one watch. It’s not crazy or super expensive or anything, but it’s the most I’ve ever spent on a watch. I’m tight like that… I’m kind of broke! I bought it, but I couldn’t decide between the two, so when it went No. 1 for two weeks, I went and bought the second one [laughs]!”
As far as an actual celebration, Hayes just hasn’t come up for air long enough to throw a party. “My mind is very much so like well we’re in the middle of this tour, and I can’t stop,” he says. “I can’t take a break or think about anything but this tour. I want to get to the next show, and I want to think about the next show. Then when that show’s over, I’m thinking about the next show. I’m programming. I’m thinking. I’m re-thinking. I’m reorganizing the show. I’m changing the setlist… I’m that annoying guy who’s always thinking. My wheels are always turning on something.”
“They’re not always on what they need to be on,” he adds honestly. “Sometimes they’re spinning on lighting cues, and I’ll spend two hours working on lighting cues, where I probably should spend a little more time in soundcheck [laughs]! I do love thinking about the show. I think about it so much on the road that I’m very much caught up in it. I haven’t really slowed down enough to think about any of this. I think that CMA week was the closest I’ve gotten. I got to go to the after party, and I got to go to all these other things and celebrate with my team, but I haven’t slowed down and hung out with my friends and processed everything. I think that’s going to happen here pretty soon. It’s a lot of big changes for me right now in my life with everything. It’s just a matter of processing that and just keeping an eye on why I’m here and what I love about it.”
Hayes will have a little break in his workload over the Christmas holiday when he heads back home to Louisiana, but will pick back up on the Blown Away Tour after the first of the year.
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OK for Oklahoma Live Broadcast Photos
May 22, 2013 9:54 AM Donating now to help the victims of the Oklahoma tornado now and check out our photos from this morning!
• Visit: Red Cross Office located 29 S. Stockwell Road to donate in person
• Call: (812) 471-7200 from 5am-65pm and a member of the phone bank can take your donation
• Click: redcross.org/tristat
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