More than a year after releasing his record-breaking hit “Body Like a Back Road,” Sam Hunt has returned with a new single. The 33-year-old singer dropped “Downtown’s Dead” on Wednesday (May 16), following an Instagram overhaul to announce the song the day before.
Hunt’s latest single is reminiscent of his heavier Montevallo tracks, with breathy verses and booming bass on the chorus that accentuate the song’s lovelorn lyrics like “As long as you’re still in my head/There ain’t a way that I can paint a ghost town red.” While “Downtown’s Dead” isn’t as lighthearted as “Body Like a Back Road,” the tune’s acoustic guitar adds a tenderness similar to Hunt’s breakout hit “Leave the Night On” — except it’s telling the opposite side of that city-slicking love story.
Despite sharing nine promotional images the day before the song’s release, Hunt has yet to post anything else regarding “Downtown’s Dead” since it dropped. He recently spoke out about the status of his career, admitting that he isn’t writing as many songs as he used to.
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“I don’t know where my career will go from here, but my sole focus hasn’t been on making music all the time like it was in my 20s,” Hunt told Yahoo. “My interests have changed.”
Part of the problem, he said, is that he hasn’t had a lot to say since “Body Like a Back Road.” Though it’s still unclear what exactly inspired him to write and release “Downtown’s Dead,” he also shared that, as of right now, he doesn’t quite have enough material he’s passionate about turning into a full project. “I just have a lot of songs that are scattered all over the place,” he added. “It hasn’t come together in a way that would really make a great album.”
Hunt will be hitting the road with Luke Bryan later this month, and will play a handful of festival headlining slots this summer. He’s also nominated for five Billboard Music Awards this year, including the billboard chart achievement award and top selling song thanks to “Body Like a Back Road,” which topped the Hot Country Songs chart for a record 34 weeks last year.
Listen to “Downtown’s Dead” below.