“23” by Sam Hunt

The primary subject of Sam Hunt’s “23” and also the person the vocalist is addressing would apparently be his ex-girlfriend, someone he was in love with back in the day but now, by the looks of things, has more or less lost contact with.

And as far as the title goes, it’s indicative of the age when they were together, i.e. back when the Sam was 23 years old. And what he is doing, most simply put, is expressing appreciation for said ex.

No, it doesn’t read like the vocalist actually wants to get back with her. But the point being made is like, well, you can’t change the past. And as far as the aforementioned period of his life is concerned, she was the one who held him down back then, i.e. being his “first time”. 

So while acknowledging that fact, the singer is also using the opportunity to wish the addressee well in her future endeavors. And he is also reminding her that no matter where life may take her, as noted earlier, they share a history that cannot be erased nor, in the very least from his perspective, forgotten.

Facts about “23”

Being released on 9 September 2021, this is actually the first song Sam Hunt has come out with during said year. 

Hunt, who officially went pro during the late aughts, dropped quite a few multi-platinum mega-hits during the mid-to-late 2010s, including the likes of Take Your Time (2014) and Body Like a Back Road (2017).

Sam Hunt wrote this song in conjunction with Josh Osborne, country music specialist Shane McAnally and the track’s producer, Chris LaCorte.

This track, which was first teased over a year before its release, is a product of MCA Nashville, the label Sam Hunt has been signed to since 2014.

Contrary to some beliefs, the cover art to this song is not a picture of Sam Hunt and his ex. Rather it is his wife’s aunt and uncle, and said pic, as you can probably tell, was taken a few years back.