HIXTAPE, Vol. 1

The modern mixtape is an art form most commonly associated with hip-hop, but these days the line between rap and country is blurring (see: a certain record-breaking No. 1 single), and so the arrival of HIXTAPE, Vol. 1 seems less strange than it might have a few years ago. A country mixtape curated by rising songwriter HARDY (composer of Blake Shelton’s hit “God’s Country”), HIXTAPE spotlights both his clever wordplay and some of Nashville’s contemporary stars—notably Thomas Rhett and Morgan Wallen, who feature on the lead singles “Nothin’ Out Here” and “He Went to Jared” respectively. But like any good Southern boy, HARDY has a healthy admiration for his forebears, and there are touches everywhere of the ’90s country rock he grew up on. Trace Adkins and Joe Diffie guest on “Redneck Tendencies,” which recalls their winking chart hits like “Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die).” Appearances from Cole Swindell, Tracy Lawrence, Lauren Alaina, Keith Urban, and Hillary Lindsey round out this showcase, which essentially doubles as HARDY’s debut full-length.