The Showdown: Hunter Hayes vs. Alan Jackson

Hunter Hayes owes a big thanks to his Hayniacs, who voted overwhelmingly to send his latest single, "21," to another Showdown round, edging out the latest from Kelsea Ballerini.

"21" is Hayes' version of a country party song, but his idea of partying is more along the lines of life-affirming, not mind-altering. That's been a strong enough message for his fans to give the song three straight Showdown wins, but Hayes is facing a very tough challenge now, from a living country legend.

Alan Jackson's new single may be the exact polar opposite to Hayes' upbeat message. With "Jim and Jack and Hank," Jackson has crafted a classic booze-and-breakup story that reminds us all over again just how he's managed to stay relevant for a quarter of a century in country music, without changing who he is as a songwriter one tiny bit to bend with the times and passing trends. Will Jackson's fans turn out to vote, or will the Hayniacs carry Hunter into yet another Showdown round?

Listen to clips of both Hayes and Jackson’s songs and vote for your favorite here. You can vote once every hour until this Showdown ends on Friday at 8AM ET, so come back and vote often to be sure your artist wins. The winner of this matchup will face a new challenger on Friday.

Listen to Hunter Hayes, “21”

Listen to Alan Jackson, “Jim and Jack and Hank”

Showdown Rules: The song with the most votes wins, and the winner goes on to face a new challenger in the next Showdown. Vote as much as once per hour online. If a song wins five Showdowns in a row, it will be retired into the Taste of Country Showdown Hall of Fame to allow for new songs to compete. Some songs will be considered for a second Showdown if voter turnout is healthy in a losing effort.