Hardy vividly recalls his first encounter with the nü-metal troublemakers of Limp Bizkit. "I got home from school and 'Nookie' was on 'TRL.' [...] I was like, I know I'm supposed to be afraid of this - but this is f- awesome." This moment illustrates how influential music was in shaping his artistic identity.
The follow-up to last year's half-country/half-rock 'The Mockingbird & the Crow,' 'Quit!!' evokes the heroes of Hardy's adolescence in small-town Mississippi, where MTV introduced him not only to Limp Bizkit but to Puddle of Mudd and Linkin Park. Eventually drawn to country music thanks to Brad Paisley and Eric Church..." This highlights Hardy's diverse musical influences and evolution.
Says Hardy's pal Ernest, with whom he and Wallen penned the chart-topping 'More Than My Hometown': "I'm the alpha in a lot of the rooms I write in. When I'm around Hardy, I'm the beta. He's just built different." This comment showcases the respect Hardy commands among his peers.
Just this week, Hardy (whose first name is Michael) helped drive Post Malone's much-discussed country turn, 'F-1 Trillion,' to a No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200. This emphasizes Hardy's influential role in bridging genres and shaping contemporary music.
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