Sam Hunt, ‘Break Up in a Small Town’ [Listen]

Sam Hunt's "Break Up in a Small Town" makes "Take Your Time" seem like Grandpa's music. By far this is the singer's most genre-bending release to country radio.

He hasn't found radio's town limits yet, so why not keep pushing? The same people that hated his first three singles will hate this one too, but that's not saying much. Hunt could reveal he's Hank Williams' long-lost grandson and still be cast to the cold exile within.

On "Break Up in a Small Town," you'll recognize the phrasing. This arrangement is more immediately electronic and produced than "Take Your Time," but it builds in the same way. There's very little that's organic, except for Hunt's sincere delivery. It's here that he stuns, alternating between a spoken-word patter and melodic verse, sometimes within the same line.

It's a song about finding out your ex is dating a guy you know well.

"We'd pay at the same pumps / Flip through the same stations / And slow down for the same curves / Run around with the same crowds / We just needed some time / She could get on with her life and I'd get on with mine / Thought I would be fine, heh, but maybe not," he says as the moody arrangement builds toward this chorus:

"I knew she'd find a way to get over me / But I'd never thought that / She would get down with somebody I know / I guess that's just how it goes / When you break up in a small town."

"Break Up in a Small Town" is likely the wordiest song of 2015. Any talk of which genre Hunt belongs in misses the point. His story hits hard. It's deep and emotional and sincere and all the things we expect from a great country song.

"But there's only so many streets, so many lights / I swear it's like I can't even leave my house / I should've known all along / You gotta move or move on / When you break up in a small town."

Find "Break Up in a Small Town" on Hunt's Montevallo album.

Why Fans Will Love It: Despite his unorthodox approach, "Break Up in a Small Town" is relatable.

Key Lyrics: "And I never thought that / She would get down with somebody I know / I guess that's just how it goes / When you break up in a small town."

Did You Know?: Counting "Cop Car" (Keith Urban) and "Raised on It (SiriusXM)," six of the 10 songs on Montevallo have been released as singles.

Listen to Sam Hunt, “Break Up in a Small Town”

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