HARDY Reflects on 'Surreal' Year With No. 1 Songs by Morgan Wallen, Florida Georgia Line

HARDY has plenty of reasons to celebrate this year. The rising star wrote not one, but two chart-topping hits this year, and just released his own EP, This Ole Boy, on Big Loud Records.

"I had my first No. 1 this year, which was amazing, with this guy, Morgan Wallen," Hardy told PopCulture.com. "Just some guy with a mullet. 'Up Down' was my first No. 1 ever, first Top 30, first pretty much everything. That was amazing. And then around the time it started getting in the Top 20, FGL put 'Simple' out, and that went No. 1 after 20-something weeks. It was really fast and just very surreal. I don't really know how to explain it – a lot of good stuff. It's been a really great year, and I'm just super thankful."

HARDY spent years paying his dues, and struggling just like every other rising star, which makes his sudden success that much sweeter.

"It's just amazing how quickly things can happen," HARDY noted. "This time last year, I was just a completely different story, and it's just really truly amazing to see how life works out for you, and when your timing is your timing."

HARDY will hit the road early next year, serving as the opening act on Wallen's If I Know Me Tour, kicking off in January.

"We're not going to have any fun, I don't think," deadpanned HARDY. "Our poor, poor livers. We need to put a liver on the rider. Two livers per show. It's going to be a blast. I've been out with him, so I know his band really well. My whole band, we're all songwriters, so hopefully we're all just going to write songs and hang out, and party just a little bit."

HARDY earned plenty of praise from his future tour boss, whom Wallen is excited to champion.

"HARDY is one of my best friends," Wallen said. "I'm super proud of him that he's got a record deal and he's been writing awesome songs, so I'm gonna bring him out. Hopefully write some more awesome songs together. But, I've never seen him with a full band so I'm looking forward to that."

HARDY also has the full support of Florida Georgia Line, whom he hopes will mentor him on his journey.

"At the end of the day, we're excited about Morgan Wallen, we're real excited about Hardy," Tyler Hubbard told PopCulture.com. "He's probably one of our new favorites right now."

Find a list of all of HARDY's upcoming shows, and purchase This Ole Boy, on his website.

Photo courtesy of Sweet Talk PR/Nick Swift