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Walker Hayes reflected that he “was honored to be nominated for a CMA award” as he debuted a new song that captures exactly what would have been his acceptance speech.
Hayes was up for the New Artist of the Year award, which ultimately went to “Heart Like A Truck” singer Lainey Wilson. But Hayes still shared a sentimental message after the 56th annual CMA Awards on Wednesday night (November 9). The country singer-songwriter known for his smash-hit anthem “Fancy Like” and other fan-favorites released his heartfelt new song, “Face In The Crowd.”
“When my 15 minutes ends and the world loves me a little less, I hope you know that you’re the only one I was trying to impress,” Hayes singes on the track. All he ever cared about was “your face in the crowd.” He added in a caption on Instagram as he teased the song before its release: “I love hearing me singing on that radio cuz that means we gonna get paid…But a hundred hit songs ain’t got nothing on them babies we made.”
The official video features Hayes singing and playing his guitar in an empty venue, peppered with clips of him singing for packed audiences and of his family. Viewers will recognize a few brief clips of Hayes’ kids performing one of the family’s choreographed dances, and heartwarming snapshots of his wife Laney.