Hunter Hayes’ Digital Experiment Pays Off With ’21’

One of country’s most accomplished young stars, Hunter Hayes, has hit yet another milestone this week, as his new single "21" hit radio stations around the country and became the most-added song to country radio playlists, with 94 stations bringing the song into rotation.

Hayes is not only turning heads with the single itself, but the way he chose to release it. Taking a step further into the digital age, the 23-year-old decided to release the song in late May via streaming and country radio only, rather than making it available to purchase right away. Hayes plans to release a collection of tracks this way that will eventually appear on iTunes and other digital outlets. The artist has no immediate plans for an album or to release music through physical outlets.

This move may be unprecedented, but Hayes wants to embrace the future.

“Change is not a bad thing — it’s a beautiful thing,” Hayes says in a Billboard article, which dubbed the move “country’s biggest digital experiment to date.”

Proof that going with the flow of progress often pays off, "21" has already logged 4.5 million streams on Spotify alone, and Hayes' success in country radio this week is second only to the impact of his triple-platinum hit "I Want Crazy," from his self-titled debut album.

Hayes is currently on tour with Lady Antebellum and Sam Hunt across North America.

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