Looking towards his long-awaited sophomore album, breakout country artist Sam Hunt drops his third, post-Montevallo single, “Downtown’s Dead,” with merely okay results.

Sam Hunt experienced his breakthrough in 2014 with his pop, urban-infused country debut, Montevallo.  Montevallo had no shortage of hits including “Take Your Time,” “Leave the Night On,” and “Break Up in a Small Town.” In 2017, it seemed like a new album was on the horizon, dropping singles “Drinkin’ Too Much” and the top-ten, Grammy-nominated sexual innuendo, “Body Like a Back Road”. Alas, no album came about.  Perhaps his latest single, “Downtown’s Dead” serves as a promo for his sophomore album.

“Everywhere I go looks like the place to be

I see people that I know and I feel like there’s no one here but me.”

“Downtown’s Dead” is styled in the contemporary country vein, incorporating an expanded palette of sounds and styles.  Even so, “Downtown’s Dead” is relatively tame in its experiments, even though it’s NOT overtly ‘country.’  Thematically, the big picture finds Sam Hunt is lost without her.  On the chorus, he asserts “Friday night it might as well be just another / Tuesday night without you.”  That occurs after he sings the titular lyric, attaching identity to it: “Downtown’s dead without you.” Cleverly, the lyrics reference things associated with nightlife, city life, and illustrating the desire for a more personal as opposed to generic connection.

Final Thoughts

So, how does “Downtown’s Dead” stack up? Ultimately, it’s merely okay. “Downtown’s Dead” isn’t nearly as exciting as the aforementioned gems from his debut album.  Perhaps he’s going for a more mature sound compared to his breakthrough, but “Downtown’s Dead” is much more forgettable than not. Okay, but not the second coming.

Sam Hunt • Downtown’s Dead – Single • MCA Nashville • Release: 5.18.18

Photo Credit: MCA Nashville