Last month, rising country music star Hayden Joseph released his inspiring self-acceptance anthem, “Out,” in honor of Pride. Laced with uplifting lyrics about speaking up and being proud of who you are, the single highlights Joseph’s crisp vocals alongside dynamic, modern, country-pop production.
Born and raised in South Carolina, Joseph has been making waves as one of the few out-and-proud singers in the country genre for the better part of the last year, following the successful release of his 2021 debut album, Different. Joseph knows he faces an uphill battle as an openly gay male pursuing a country music career, but he prides himself on the inclusive nature of his lyrics and strives to continue breaking industry barriers.
Joseph draws inspiration from icons like Shania Twain and Garth Brooks, and his unique southern charm is bound to captivate audiences across the nation.
OFM had the opportunity to catch up with Joseph to talk more about “Out,” why he chose a career in country music, and challenges he has faced in the industry.
Can you begin by telling us more about the concept and inspiration behind your new single, “Out?”
Yeah, absolutely. When I first started writing, I wanted this to be on my first album, I knew that one of the songs needed to somehow be about my journey to self-acceptance. Obviously, for me, that involves coming out. However, I do kind of understand the makeup of country music listeners, the makeup of the general population, and that coming out is a very unique experience to a very small subset of the population.
So, I wanted to find a way to talk about it where I felt like I did it justice, but also opened up the experience of self-acceptance to broader points of view. That is how I landed on the word play of the word, ‘out.’ The metaphor for coming out, but also just stepping into who you are. I had been mulling over this for a few weeks, and light was flickering on and off on a New York City subway. The phrase ‘lights out’ kind of hit me; then I started going off that. Then I realized, if I can make a metaphorical chorus for every word into the word ‘out,’ I think that does a good job of subtly hitting hard on my point, but also leaving that interpretation up.
You released “Out” at the beginning of Pride Month. Is it still being received well by audiences?
Yes, it is. It was the first song that I got playlisted on an editorial playlist on Spotify. Spotify put it on their Out Now playlist, which has about a million followers. As artists, we love to see concrete progress like that by the numbers. Like, it’s one thing to be satisfied with the art you are putting out, but it’s another thing to see actual results in numbers, streams, and new fans. I am seeing more streams on that song daily just because of the amount of support it’s gotten from outlets like that. My monthly listeners on Spotify continue to go up because of things like that, so I am very excited with where it’s at.
Will there be an accompanying music video?
I did have a music video filmed. However, to be honest, I am not super satisfied with it. So, the answer to that question was supposed to be yes, but I think it is going to be no. There is a great lyric video that a friend of mine made for it. They did a fantastic job, so I would recommend watching the lyric video if you have not yet. I am just on the fence if I want to release the music video or not. It’s one of those things where I’m an independent artist, so my budget is not unlimited. No one expects me to put out major-label budget music videos. I want to be able to stand behind the content a little bit more than what I feel the results of this one was.
Since “Out” is a self-acceptance track, how does it stand out from all the other singles we saw released throughout Pride Month with a similar message?
I cannot speak for all of them because, obviously, I have not listened to all the music that came out during Pride Month, but I can say that what I really try to do with my music is, I want to write songs for everyone. I want to write songs that are unique for the LGBTQ community, and I want to write songs that pretend like I am not a part of the LGBTQ community. Both of those things, I don’t think are a viable way to make the path as a mainstream musician.
So, like I said, I cannot speak for all other Pride songs, but what I think makes this different is that if you are not gay, you don’t have to hear the pro-LGBTQ message in this song. It can be perceived as coming out of depression or accepting who you are if you have a disability, etc. I think that adds a layer of both marketability and relatability because it is so open ended. I am very intentional, and I write songs to keep it that way because my biggest complaint about country music right now is, I feel like it is not open ended. Nothing is open ended. Everything sounds the same, and everything is interpreted the exact same way. That is not the case with my music.
How exciting was it for you to release your debut album, Different?
Very exciting! The thing with that album that is different from anything else I have put out so far is that I have songs on there that I wrote in middle school. The first song that I ever wrote is a track on this album. “You’ll Come Around,” I wrote in eighth grade. So, this album has 10 years’ worth of material boiled down into the box that made the cut. There are songs on this album that I wrote when I was a teenager, and there are songs that I wrote when I was 24-25.
That is a very different mentality, and quite frankly, I can’t write the songs that I wrote when I was 14 anymore. I don’t think like that anymore. I have a way more negative view of certain aspects of the world that don’t let my writing be as innocent as it was. I think in some ways, that’s great. I listened to some of the songs, and I was like, I know an eighth grader wrote this, but I think this is a really good song and I cannot write something like this again. So, it is now or never putting this on my album. That album was much easier to write and compile because I had 10 years of stuff to tell a life story. It was a rewarding experience to finally take things that I have been singing in my bedroom to finally put them on an actual album.
Have you always had a passion for singing and songwriting?
I have. I will be very honest and say that my dream for my entire life has not been to be a country music singer. I have always had a very level head. I went to Vanderbilt in Nashville and worked in New York City for a couple years after college in a strategy consulting role. It was not until I had no room for creative outlets in my life to realize that I couldn’t live without any creative outlet. That was kind of my “come to Jesus” moment.
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What specifically drew you to country music?
I grew up in South Carolina, and I have listened to country music for my entire life. Also, I am very biased, I think the mid-to-late 90s in country music are such a unique time in that genre. It was like a perfect storm of generation defining artists that came up at that point. I grew up with Shania, the Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill, Garth Brooks, and candidly, I just don’t think you see artists of that caliber anymore. Both in terms of sales and fame, notoriety, and influence.
Growing up when country music was just becoming a part of the mainstream, I essentially saw the birth of crossover country music. That genre of music was not a thing until the late 90s. That coincided with my first memories and my first lyrical understandings of music. That was an inspiring time to be introduced to country music, and those artists are iconic without even explaining why. I think that is why I fell in love with country music, and that continued to blossom. Even as the genre changed.
I also think country music songwriting, the style, and the way the lyrics are written, is fundamentally different than pop music. To me, it is not a sound thing. I do not believe that country has to sound like this or sound like that. It is the way the songs are written. It still has a narrative story arc. A beginning, middle, and end to its songs. The songs tell some kind of story or concept, versus pop music is predominantly just a beat and hook. I write songs with narrative lyrics. Therefore, I write country songs.
As we all know, the genre has not been the most inclusive to the LGBTQ community. What challenges have you personally faced?
I always want to be careful when answering questions about this because I want to make it clear that I do not feel like I have experienced any sort of avert homophobia. I don’t think people write me off because I am gay. I know it gets on the “heterosexual population’s” nerves to hear gay artists try to play the victim, and I want to be clear that is not what I am doing. However, what I am saying is, this genre has been so boxed into the idea of what a male artist should and shouldn’t sing about, and what a male artist should look and sound like. They have boxed in, particularly men in this genre, to only sing about this small subset of things that is fundamentally just not relatable to a gay man.
I don’t date women. Beer is fine, but I don’t want to write all my songs about beer. I drive a basic Dodge Charger; I have never driven a pickup truck. So, my songs are not going to be about that. They just aren’t. I do not care how much you want them to be; they will never be about that. When I write songs that are more confessional, my inspiration mostly comes from female artists because they write about things that I relate to more, for obvious reasons. My songs are more confessional. They are honest; they are emotional, and the feedback I get a lot of times is, that song is too feminine; that song is too honest for a man, or this would be better sung by a woman. No, that is not avert homophobia, but that is a direct result of the hyper-masculine beast that country music has become.
It is a chicken-and-the-egg situation. It is super complex, but that is the biggest challenge. Breaking that wall down and saying, “I am writing songs that plenty of men can relate to. You just think they don’t for some unknown reason.” It is not feminine to have emotions, and it is not gay to have emotions.
Do you think views are changing for the better within the country music genre?
I would like to think so, but if you read enough in online comment sections, your heart will sink fast. Honestly, on both sides of the aisle, people are so hateful on both sides of this issue, and I certainly do not think that is the way to solve a problem. However, we are seeing a lot of progress. Hunter Kelly is doing a great job on Apple Music, pushing his Proud Radio show. We had a couple major label artists come out in the last year; CMT and CMA have all done things for Pride, and some people will call that performative, but I would push back saying, I would rather be visible about it than not be visible about it. Don’t criticize people who are trying, which again, makes me shake my head.
So, I would like to think we are seeing progress. With country radio, I do not understand the disconnect. Streaming platforms are doing their part, but songs are hitting number one on country radio that have a fourth of the streams on streaming platforms. It makes no sense. It’s like they are doing it on purpose.
What do you hope listeners take away from your music?
Country music is more than what you are hearing on country radio, and country musicians are more than what you are hearing on country radio. I have a song coming out soon that’s just about how everyone loves to typecast people and typecast industries. The fact of the matter is, everybody is deeper than what you see in their pictures or what you see in their description.
The song is called “See Me,” and it is basically about that concept. You would need to look at so many different things to actually see me, and you are choosing to look at one thing. Just because our lives have been different and there are things about me and you that are different, that does not mean we don’t have shared experiences. That does not mean we can’t feel something from the same kind of music.
What does the rest of 2021 look like for you?
Busy [laughs]. I am hard at work on my follow up EP, or album. We have kind of entered that music generation where no one really knows if they are making an EP or album anymore. You just put out single after single. I am hard at work on new music, and I have a new song coming out very soon called “Backwoods Bougie.” It is my satirical way of making fun of country music by leaning into the stereotypes. I would describe it as a stereotypical summer party song with a little bit of a twist. I was basically like, this is what country music wants, so this is what I am going to give them, and I am going to give it to them my way.
I also have a couple other songs that are done. We are going to do some acoustic versions of my tracks and definitely put something out around Christmas, but really, I just want to continue to build my following and build my influence in Nashville. I have seen a lot of progress on the internet and with people in town. I try not to plan too much because this is an industry where you really just can’t, but I will say, lots of new music and video content.
Connect with Joseph by following him on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. “Out” is available on all digital streaming platforms, and “Backwoods Bougie” will be released on July 29.
Via OFM + Photos Courtesy of Libby Danforth
