Below, Hayes tells Billboard about how the principle that for the song came together, why his faith has helped put together him for this stage of success, Oreo shakes returning to Applebee’s and more.
You’re 41 and having the last be aware hit of your profession. Would you beget been ready for this success earlier?
It’s sizable timing undoubtedly, as a long way because the put my coronary heart is and the lifestyles I’ve lived up except now. I’m additionally at a put the put I will look how fleeting [success] is. I will be rather frank — I form no longer are attempting to be unhappy about success, however I unexcited miss my dad [who died in March]. I unexcited wrestle day to day. I’m six years sober and I do know I’m five minutes from blowing that up. I’m no longer the last be aware dad on this planet. I would admire to be. However each night I in truth feel admire I hurry to bed going, “I could perhaps possibly perhaps possibly form this greater.”
After I was 21 or 31, I could perhaps possibly perhaps need thought that [success] would swap something. Possibly I would peep within the replicate and bid, “Man, I in truth admire that particular person. I look now they’ve within the slay proved themselves to me.” Now I do know that is never any longer what occurs if you happen to be triumphant. Success normally can magnify about a of those disorders that we all take care of and anxiousness and struggles that now we beget got.
So I peep at it in a truly realistic blueprint. I form assume God has ready me for this, and I’m enraged — however I’m careful. I’m so grateful that it is with my family, and no longer me alone. Most undoubtedly if this had came about to me after I was 21, there’s no telling what would beget ended up going on. It should now not beget been healthy for me at all.
The song addresses misconceptions followers may perhaps possibly perhaps need that artists’ lives are worthy more glamorous than they are undoubtedly. How did that concept attain about as you, Cameron Bartolini, Josh Jenkins and Shane Stevens beget been writing it?
We began to unite over the misperception that every author or artist power[s] G-Wagons and that we all eat at The Palm five nights per week and that it be moral glamorous, pink carpet each night. Over COVID, as I shared and exposed more and more of my family — in truth thanks to moral lack of divulge — I observed each person was admire, “Oh, wow, you moral are residing in a typical apartment” or “Now we beget that same trampoline,” and it was admire, “Wisely, yeah, that is who I’m. I’m moral admire you. I moral beget a odd job.”
Josh talked about the title having “admire” in it, and I told the room — after I’m on a aspect highway time out with my formative years and accomplice, we consistently attain to this level the put I bid, “Hey, are we going to lickety-split meals it or are we going to form some admire? Y’all are attempting to sit down down down and beget a waiter or a waitress and moral aloof down for a 2d?” And that is the reason consistently an Applebee’s-ish restaurant, , something admire that. And that is the reason admire. That is a immense deal. My formative years acquire jacked after I’m admire, “Yeah, we’re no longer doing Sonic.”
Cameron Bartolini, who goes by Cambo, works with Doja Cat. Had been you attentive to that connection?
So I bought to give an clarification for you, I had heard folks bid, “He’s bought Doja Cat cuts” and I unexcited don’t know what that is. I do know he’s a immense deal in that pop world. The reality that that was Cambo’s first write in Nashville was unreal. That is moral phenomenal to me. I’ve listened to a snippet of a Doja Cat song since my supervisor was admire, “You know, Cambo does these items,” however I’m no longer familiar.
How did you and Lela put the dance together?
It’s my job to make sure each person can form it — because Lela can form strikes the put I’m admire, “Watch, that appears superior, however nobody’s even going to strive to study because it be too arduous.” That Sunday, we had moral launched your complete EP, my family was very enraged. We came home from church and put [the song’s] chorus on repeat and made it easy and we popped it off on the porch. We did two takes after which we slapped it on TikTok. [By] that night it surpassed a million [views]. I mean, it be bonkers. I moral left a Planet Health and folks beget been strolling as much as me and [saying] “My daughter loves the dance. Can I acquire a image?”
Why form you suspect it has struck such a accurate chord with folks?
As a long way because the dance is anxious, after I ogle me and my daughter interact, we beget been free. We weren’t trying. We did now not beget any expectations. It wasn’t calculated. It wasn’t curated. It’s nearly admire we beget been ignorant. I form no longer even know if it be a staunch dance. What does a proper dancer assume of it? Is it moral unsightly, ? [Writing] the song, we beget been moral free. It’s admire we beget been four puny boys on a playground. My group loved it, don’t acquire me contemptible, however none of us may perhaps possibly perhaps possibly beget predicted the put we beget been going to be sitting, three or four weeks down the aspect highway.
Has Applebee’s answered?
We’re in talks. They’re candy, candy, candy folks. I form no longer are attempting to let the cat out of the procure, however one thing that in truth excites me is that the Oreo shake in truth came off the menu just a few years again and it be coming again thanks to the song. You’re going to chortle at me, however I will no longer wait ’till I in truth beget grandkids and we’re at Applebee’s and they’re drinking a shake. And I could perhaps possibly perhaps possibly bid, “You know why’s it on the menu? It’s miles because I saved it.” I’m admire, “Dude, I will die and Oreo shakes will hurry on and on and on.” And I could perhaps possibly perhaps possibly desire credit score. It’s pretty superior.
What’s your well-liked phase of this scurry as much as now?
My well-liked phase of the song will consistently be the day we wrote it. It’s moral sitting in a room with folks and literally taking nothing and making something. Each day may perhaps possibly perhaps properly be the day that that song idea you acquire in that car may perhaps possibly perhaps possibly contact millions and millions of oldsters’s lives. And millions of dads and daughters may perhaps possibly perhaps possibly form a dance together and millions of couples may perhaps possibly perhaps possibly form a dance together and invent a memory that they can beget the relaxation of their lives, that will be consistently attached to that song. I form no longer study about you, however that is magic honest there.
A model of this story initially regarded within the July 17, 2021, teach of Billboard.
