Ryan Hurd Hopes New Single Will Let Fans See Him Differently

On Friday, Ryan Hurd released his new single, "To A T," a looping, relaxed jam that's all about love.

Featuring lyrics like "Stay here 'til sunrise, I wanna know you / Like it's the last time I'll ever hold you / Girl, every detail leave it up to me," the song is about both knowing someone so well you have them "down to a T," and also getting them, literally, "down to a T."

Speaking to PopCulture.com, Hurd explained that the track shows a different side of him than what listeners have heard before.

"I think people have this perception of me where I'm kind of a brooding guy," the 31-year-old noted. "And I guess I can be, but I'm a really happy person with a really great life."

Hurd wrote "To A T" with Laura Veltz and Nathan Spicer and called the song "challenging" but "fun" to write.

"It's a love song but it's like, a sexy love song," he said. "I think it's something that country music listeners relate to, but also it's kind of sad in a way that is really different that I haven't heard before. I think it's just a fresh take on something that most listeners really can relate to."

"It's lighter and it's a lot more reflective of the brighter side of me than [previous singles] 'City Girl' or 'Love in a Bar,' which are just these heavy tunes that hold you back," Hurd continued. "I think just the lightness and the happiness of who I am is definitely showing through a lot more this year than last year."

Hurd shared that while he's written and recorded dozens of other songs, "To A T" jumped out as something special.

"I was recording other music and this one just sort of made itself known, not only to like me but to the people around me that I trust the most," he explained. "The wordplay and the writing, the crafting of that song was really, really special. I think it kind of catches people by surprise."

In addition to writing the song with wife Maren Morris in mind, the "My Church" singer also makes an appearance on the track's backing vocals.

"She just really loved the song so much and when we went in to record it, it just felt like a really cool thing to sing together," Hurd said of Morris. "It is a love song and she's always been my muse even before we were together, so having her voice on another song I wrote is really cool."

After starting as co-writers before dating and eventually getting married, Hurd and Morris are equal partners in everything they do, including music.

"There's just like such a partnership there," Hurd revealed. "I love being as much a part of her project as she is with mine, I love being on the road with her, I just love being around the life that she's made for herself. I love being a part of it and I know that she feels the same way about me."

Photo Credit: RCA Records Nashville