Hunter Hayes: ‘I’m the weird guy’

SINGAPORE — As singer Hunter Hayes performs, frantic female fan are wildly attempting to yank his arm hair out to serve as personal mementos; holding up hilarious signs bearing words such as “I must be a horse, because I’m hunting for Hayes”; and a teenage girl has proposed to him for the second time.

For the 22-year-old American country singer, it’s just another day at work. Nonetheless, the teenage heartthrob insisted he’s far from being a sex symbol — he used to fail miserably when trying to pick up girls.

“It happened recently actually! I’m not really good at getting contact information,” he said. “I felt pretty embarrassed — it was my first time jumping in and saying ‘I really want to hang out with you’. I was so desperate to get that message across and I got scared. It was one of those embarrassing moments that make me go ‘Ugh!’ every time I think about it.”

He may be shy, but here’s a little tip for the ladies: The way to Hayes’ heart is by being his friend. “Usually I like to hang out and get to know somebody,” he said. “I see myself as quiet and reserved, but once I get to know you, I’ll talk your head off! I’m kind of like the weird guy, but I like it that way, being a little different.”

He also doesn’t mind ensconcing himself in a room for extended periods of time, especially when he’s recording an album. “As much as I am the guy that wants to go on roads, it’s definitely better for the record if you zone in on it,” Hayes explained. “It can be frustrating because you don’t see the light of day in three months. You go to the studio at 9am and by the time you get out, it’s 2am. It’s intense, but it provides you with the loneliness that you need to make a record.”

Hayes has had a great year so far. The album, Storyline, hit the No 1 slot on the American country charts; and he broke the Guinness World Record for the most concerts played in multiple cities in 24 hours (10), all in an effort to help end child hunger. (The Flaming Lips held the previous record, with eight shows.)

Haye’s social responsibility is evident in his lead single, Invisible, a song about the bullying he experienced while growing up.

“I’m always conscious to use the word bullying in my story, just because it can take on several different forms,” he said. “It may change in the way it looks and how it comes to you, but it never changes definition throughout your life. The first time I was introduced to it was in middle school and high school, where I experienced it the most. Quite frankly, I went through feeling like a complete outcast and couldn’t fit in.

“Many people go through much more than I did. But I believe that the good side will come in someday. Whatever it is that makes you different, don’t go about changing that. Keep and preserve that because it’s important.”

Despite all his successes, Hayes said that he’s a worry wart: He worries about everything — even worrying about worrying. “(I’m worried about whether) the stuff I write stays interesting and in touch (with the public). That goes through my mind at least once a day. I’m worried about that all the time — that either you run out of ideas or the ideas you have become really dumb!” he said.

But the constant worrying only makes him work harder. “At first, (worrying) made me very careful, but then I get so tired of being careful that I flip on the opposite side and get reckless. And that’s completely normal, because if we were so comfortable, what would we accomplish?” Laetitia Wong