Since the 2018 release of his This Ole Boy EP, singer-songwriter Michael Hardy —billed professionally as Hardy— has emerged as the rising country artist billed simply as Hardy.
Before finding solo success with Big Loud Records, Hardy excelled at songwriting, with such co-writes as Morgan Wallen and Florida Georgia Line's "Up Down" and Blake Shelton's "God's Country" impacting the charts. He released his Hixtape, Vol. 1 EP in 2019, which features duets with Keith Urban, Thomas Rhett and many more. His full-length debut album, A Rock, followed in 2020. Hixtape, Vol. 2 was released in Sept. 2021.
His 2023 album The Mockingbird & The Crow showed a greater versatility by blending turn of the century hard rock —country music is no more "rednecker" than that era of heavy, mainstream rock 'n' roll, after all— with the sound that made him a headlining touring act and in-studio hitmaker. Up next is another rock-inspired project that's more Limp Bizkit than Lainey Wilson.
"It's Hardy here and just wanted to let you guys know that I have a song coming out called 'Rockstar' coming out on Feb. 9," he shared on social media.on Feb. 6. "It is my next rock single and it is going to be a part of my — I'm so excited to finally say this — I'm putting out a rock record that's going to be out before the tour starts and it's badass and I'm so excited for y'all to hear it!"
In the comments, Nickelback suggests a future collaboration, which would make total sense. As of March 8, the album's title and release date have yet to be announce.
Before then, we'll get Hixtape Vol. 3: Difftape (Small Batch) on March 29. It's a Joe Diffie tribute featuring such famous Hardy friends as Post Malone. So, he's sticking to his country roots some while still rolling with rockstars and rappers.
Basically, Hardy's become creatively unpredictable while still being a fixture of both Music Row's songwriting scene and country radio playlists.
Here's our playlist of Hardy's 15 songs best, so far. As you'll see, he's a go-to collaborator for the stars for good reason.
Jason Kempin/Getty Images for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum One of the first Hardy collaborations that established him as more than a skilled songwriter, he worked here with the duo that helped put his talents on the map. Like most of Florida Georgia Line's best material, it's the soundtrack to a good time. Paras Griffin/Getty Images Nico Moon's flown under the radar, in part because his songs and style might've better suited country radio when Florida Georgia Line reigned supreme, Fortunately, streaming services makes someone like Moon a playlist add away from being discovered by new listeners. It doesn't hurt his cause that one of his better new songs features Hardy. Astrida Valigorsky/WireImage Shelton's one of the best when it comes to stepping away from ballads and sentimental material to embrace "bro-country" party anthems. Here, he recruited the best collaborator possible for such a pivot. Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images "Quit!" ranks atop the list of Hardy's best rap-rock tunes. It's autobiographical, with one line thanking Florida Georgia Line for putting Hardy on the map. Production-wise, it's a bit more original than other homages to the music from the singer-songwriter's formative listening years. Jason Kempin/Getty Images for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum "My last name is bigger than I thought it'd be" goes one line in Hardy's statement of hard rock-meets-pop country purpose. It's the type of song on which a modern country star defends their rural bonafides amid criticisms that they're "less country" than Jon Pardi and other beloved traditionalists. It's no "Jack," but it's one of the better songs from Hardy's recent creative pivot. Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images Hardy's one of the top writers of pop-country hits, along with Ashley Gorley and other generational lyrics. Here, he cuts that type of song himself. Truthfully, Hardy's voice is better suited for this type of throwback country ballad than it is for his more revved-up material. Astrida Valigorsky/WireImage Another example of Hardy being more "country" in a modern context, this cut from his 2018 EP's rocking in a Luke Combs kind of way. As with "Signed, Sober You," Hardy sounds better as a vocalist here than he has in his rockstar era. Scott Legato/Getty Images This song from Hardy's A Rock album may not have made it to radio, but based on the 2.2 million (and counting) views of the song's audio on YouTube, it has made an impact on fans. In "Truck," Hardy sings about the importance of his vehicle of choice to those who live country lifestyles, and how each person's truck shows off the owner's personality. The lyrics and the upbeat, FGL-influenced production make for a catchy country song. Even though "Truck" wasn't released as a single, it charted at No. 50 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. Erika Goldring/Getty Images Speaking of country songs, it doesn't get much more country than Hardy's "Unaplogetically Country As Hell." Also an album cut from his A Rock album, this song is what the title implies: a rowdy and unapologetic ode to the redneck lifestyle. The Mississippi-born singer doesn't hold back when describing this kind of life, with lines like "Got buck blood on my Sunday clothes." The lyrics, the laid back country instrumentation and the accompaniment from a crowd of people in the chorus makes the song sound like Hardy's singing it along with friends at a bar. Erika Goldring/Getty Images As of Nov. 2022, multiple new songs from The Mockingbird & The Crow have upped expectations for the Jan. 2023 release, from rocking country numbers like the title track, "Truck Bed" and "Sold Out" to the more traditional country-sounding "Here Lies Country Music." Yet the most compelling so far has been "Jack," which is a warning about alcohol abuse that crosses country storytelling with various strands of mainstream heavy rock from the late '90s and early aughts. Hardy's got an unbelievable batting average when it comes to picking the right duet partner. That hitting streak continued in 2022 with "Wait in the Truck," a co-write with Hunter Phelps, Jordan Schmidt and Renee Blair that candidly deals with domestic abuse before there's a twist that makes it an old-fashioned murder ballad. The Wilson collaboration is another promising sign that The Mockingbird & The Crow should further elevate Hardy's mainstream profile. Not only does Hardy often write and record his own collaborations, but he's no stranger to being featured on other artists' tunes. In July 2021, Bentley released "Beers On Me," a collaboration including Hardy and up-and-coming artist Breland. The three men combine their instantly-recognizable voices to sing an old-fashioned beer-drinking song about letting loose on a weekend night. Hardy doesn't just sing on the tune, but he also co-wrote the track with Bentley, Ashley Gorley, Luke Dick and Ross Copperman. The gold-certified single reached No. 1 on country radio. Mike Coppola/Getty Images Hardy brings up a more heavy topic with his 2021 single "Give Heaven Some Hell." In this preview of rock-influenced country songs to come, Hardy sings from the perspective of a man who has lost a close friend from his group of "noise-makin' boys." Hardy sings of attending the funeral and imagines that his friend is still living his wild ways up in Heaven, and therefore, is giving the afterlife "some hell." Although the song is upbeat, it is emotional in nature, as the song's character attempts to cope with mortality ("Man it ain't right, man it ain't fair"). Hardy has written many hits for other artists, and he earned his first No. 1 as an artist with "One Beer," a 2020 collaboration with Alaina and Dawson. The trio tells the heartwarming story of a teenage couple who unexpectedly find out they are having a baby. While the young woman and man are first shocked at the news, they grow into a beautiful family with their child. The hook of the song is that their relationship, and in turn their family, came out of "one beer" together. The song's music video showcases the story of the song, adding a dramatic twist. "One Beer" landed at No. 1 on Billboard Country charts in the US and Canada, as well as other charts around the world. Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images Hardy praised the redneck lifestyle he knows so well yet again with "Rednecker," his official debut single. In this raucous tune, Hardy challenges his fellow country boys, declaring that he's "rednecker" than any of them. To prove this, he lists his redneck bonafides throughout the song, singing, "My town's smaller than your town / And I got a bigger buck and bass on my wall / I got a little more kick in my drawl / Y'all, I got little more spit in my chaw." The song's official music video further makes Hardy's point, as he's seen participating in various country leisure activities such as mudding and mattress surfing. Some fans surmise the song is poking fun at the alleged "one-upsmanship" in the genre, but either way, "Rednecker" makes for a fun country song and remains Hardy's greatest hit."Y'all Boys" (With Florida Georgia Line) (Can't Say I Ain't Country, 2019)
"No Better Place" (With Niko Moon) (Moon's Better Days, 2024)
"Fire Up the Night" (With Blake Shelton) (Shelton's Body Language Deluxe, 2021)
"Quit!" (Single, 2024)
"Sold Out" (The Mockingbird & the Crow, 2023)
"Signed, Sober You" (Where to Find Me EP, 2018)
"All She Left Was Me" (Where to Find Me EP, 2018)
"Truck" (A Rock, 2020)
"Unapologetically Country As Hell" (A Rock, 2020)
"Jack" (The Mockingbird & the Crow, 2023)
"Wait in the Truck" (Feat. Lainey Wilson) (The Mockingbird & the Crow, 2023)
"Beers On Me," Dierks Bentley (feat. Hardy and Breland) (2021)
"Give Heaven Some Hell" (A Rock, 2020)
"One Beer" (feat. Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson) (Hixtape, Vol. 1, 2019)
"Rednecker" (This Ole Boy EP, 2018)
This story previously ran on Oct. 19, 2021.
