Whatever happens, keep smiling.

phillystock:

I Want Crazy

Songwriters: Troy Verges/Hunter Hayes/Lori McKenna
Performed by: Hunter Hayes
Album: Hunter Hayes: Encore Edition

Now this is how pop-country should be done. It’s a pleasant, well written, inoffensive, and catchy, love song. It’s relatively age appropriate too, for a star of only 21, and with Hayes having a writing credit, it feels genuine.

Hayes has managed to find the delicate balance of country and pop production. It’s not overproduced, so it fits nicely alongside the majority of other songs in the charts. Instrumentally, it reminds me of a combination of Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban (Golden Road era). The banjo and mandolin are present, but they are not too raw, or prominent for radio.

What really sets this song apart are the lyrics. There is a good concept here, it’s not just mindless summer-themed jargon. The idea is simple: wanting a love that is passionate and ‘crazy.’ The tension is built up throughout the verses, building up to the ‘crazy’ climax. It flows well, and is almost timeless, as our only real modern reference is booking a ‘one way flight.’ It also has the typical homely lilt that Lori McKenna brings to country. It is a very frank and real-life conversation of love.

This song is a great example of how country pop should be. It has substance, and through substance, it has a hope of longevity. Hunter Hayes is a very talented young musician, that everyone should be looking out for.