Album: Hunter Hayes – Red Sky
Though he got his start in country music, Hunter Hayes has never been one for genres. He proved that with a string of 2023 releases: Normal and Victory found the Louisiana native exploring pop, R&B and even a bit of funk. Red Sky pulls together tracks from both projects, as well as new cuts like “High Tide” and the older song “If You Change Your Mind”, a glimmering pop tune with soulful production and a particularly dynamic vocal from Hayes. Other highlights include the vulnerable ballad “Normal”, on which Hayes details time spent in therapy, and the introspective “About a Boy”. Hayes’ masterful guitar playing is all over the record, too; hear it in the percussive, muted arpeggios on “Could’ve Been You” and the icy, rhythmic funk chords of “Sober”. The roster of collaborators on the album eschews Music Row mainstays and instead includes pop hitmakers Alex Delicata (Beyoncé, Rihanna), Rollo (BTS, Charli XCX) and Dan Book (Dove Cameron, Britney Spears).