Sam Hunt's new music is finally here.
The country crooner released his long-awaited new single "Sinning With You" on Friday, and it's an introspective look at religion and how a person's relationship with it can evolve over time.
Fans of the singer will recall that this single was supposed to come out months ago. Originally slated for a Nov. 22 release, Hunt's DUI arrest in Nashville on Nov. 21 prompted him to change the release date for the single.
Now that is has finally arrived, let's break down the lyrics.
In the first verse, Hunt sings about growing up in a religious family and how, through time and education, he learned to question it all. (For context, his wife, Hannah Lee Fowler, is the daughter of a pastor.)
As he sings, "Raised in the first pew / Praises for Yeshua / Case of a small town repression / Your body was baptized / So disenfranchised / I was your favorite confession."
"My past was checkered," the lyrics continue. "Your spotless record / Was probably in jeopardy / Your place or my place / His grace and your grace / Felt like the same thing to me."
In the chorus, the 35-year-old (who hasn't released an album since his debut Montevallo in 2014), challenges the rules his religion taught him about love and sex.
"I never felt like I was sinning with you," he sings. "Always felt like I could talk to God in the morning / I knew that I would end up with you / Always felt like I could talk to God in the morning / If it's so wrong why did it feel so right? / If it's so wrong why'd it never feel like / Sinning with you? / Sinning with you."
Basically, Hunt is saying love is love. If it feels right, go for it.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, the star said the song is an expression of how he learned to practice free thinking.
"It's a metaphor for a small town guy who was raised with traditional values, a lot of those rooted in church and faith," he told the outlet. "Most of the value systems that I grew up around are rooted in religion and church. You start to read books and talk to people who grew up in different backgrounds, and you try to collect that knowledge and find some meaning, some truth. It speaks to the broader pursuit of truth and understanding, in terms of how you are supposed to live your life."
He also said he hopes LGBTQ couples who have struggled with their faith can relate to the song.
According to Rolling Stone, when asked if he intended for queer people to be able to draw a parallel to their own experiences through the lyrics, Hunt said without missing a beat, "100%."
"You hope that we can evolve out of some of the naiveté that may or may not have been necessarily rooted in right or wrong," he explained. "But more tradition that's been passed down. I think it's important we think about these things and don't accept rules because they are rules. We should try to understand the ‘whys' behind the things we do, and the moral structure we apply to our lives. It takes some living and learning, but I'm always in pursuit of that."
Fans of the singer, no doubt, are excited the song is finally out following his DUI arrest.
According to the arrest warrant obtained by E! News, Hunt was pulled over when he was seen driving on the wrong side of the road. The officers' description said there was "an obvious odor consistent with alcoholic beverage" coming from the singer's car, additionally noting there were two empty beer cans in the vehicle. Hunt's blood alcohol content reportedly was .173, and officers noted "numerous signs of impairment on all tests conducted." He was released from the Metro-Davidson County Detention Facility after paying a $2,500 bond the following morning.
Following the incident, the star released a statement apologizing for his behavior.
"Wednesday night I decided to drive myself home after drinking at a friend's show in downtown Nashville," he tweeted at the time. "It was a poor and selfish decision and I apologize to everyone who was unknowingly put at risk and let down by it. It won't happen again."
The country star has a court date set for January 17, 2020.