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Breakin' Records & Pushin' Boundaries Sam Hunt kills it on his 15 In A 30 Tour Words by Vanessa Pascale "Country music is about country living and we were living the southern country lifestyle down in Cedartown, Georgia." When I first heard Sam Hunt's song, "Take Your Time" a few years ago, I was captivated. I immediately downloaded the song from iTunes and listened to it on repeat for days. And when I laid my eyes on him, I thought, You can take all the time I have. Good God, he's dreamy. Those dark eyes, that sexy five o'clock shadow, and husky voice… Sign me up! I am certainly not the only one taking notice. The record-breaking country singer-songwriter's fan base surpasses country music enthusiasts –and includes just as many mainstream listeners (his debut album, Montevallo, reached #3 on the Billboard 200 and hit #1 on the Top Country Albums Chart). The 32-year-old has broken the country- music-star mold for sure – especially when it comes to his style. You won't find this Georgia native donning a cowboy hat and boots, he's more of a sneakers-and-snapbacks guy. And we can't resist his heart-on-his-sleeve lyrics? (Many of the songs from Montevallo were inspired by Hannah, the lucky lady he married this April in his hometown Cedartown, Georgia.) We are all hanging on every word Sam sings and fawning over all that handsomeness packed into his 6'3" frame. Since Montevallo's debut in 2014, Sam has received two Grammy nominations, an American Music Award, triple- platinum status, and is currently selling out venues across the country with his headlining tour, 15 In A 30. This September, I caught Sam's performance at Madison Square Garden. After performances by Maren Morris, Chris Janson and Ryan Follesé, the arena goes dark and the stage lights up with: 15 In A 30. Then, out walks Sam dressed in his usual all-black attire, baseball cap added later. He opens with "Leave the Night On." "Girl, you got the beat right, killin' in your Levis. High on your loving's got me buzzin' like a streetlight…" he croons as he jumps and dances around the stage and the audience sings along. During his 1-hour performance, the energetic musician plays guitar and ventures into the crowd. He pulls a stool on stage part way through the concert and settles down to do some storytelling. "Growing up, I could not tell you the difference between Nirvana and Madonna," Sam laughs. "But I knew every single Alan Jackson song that he ever put out. And that was all good, because y'know, country music is about country living and we were living the southern country lifestyle down in Cedartown, Georgia. We were playing football on Friday nights, hunting and fishing all day on Saturday. Sunday mornings we get up, go to church. And Sunday afternoon, we'd all go over to my grandmother's house, the whole family." He launches into a few verses of Usher's "Nice & Slow," then slides into R. Kelly's "Ignition" as he strums the guitar perched on his leg. Sam sings his hits, "House Party," "Body Like a Back Road" (the lead single off his upcoming sophomore album, which was recently nominated for CMA Single of the Year and CMA Song of the Year), "Take Your Time," and ends with "Make You Miss Me" which he plays on a piano in the middle of the venue. Overall, the concert was a success with everyone dancing, singing, and having a great time. It showcases his range of talent and gives you a little insight into the man behind the music. If you have a chance to watch Sam perform live, take it! I cannot wait for his second album to drop or to see what this superstar has in store for us next. For more information on Sam Hunt, visit: http://www.samhunt.com/ and follow him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamHuntMusic/, Twitter https://twitter.com/samhuntmusic/ and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samhuntmusic/