Cody Jinks Goes off On Sam Hunt’s “Hard To Forget”
WARNING: Some Language
Cody Jinks is the currently the king of independent traditional country with an Outlaw bent, and if you don’t believe that, you should see the kinds of crowds he draws and check out how he released two successive albums in 2019 that both went #1 on the charts. Without any mainstream radio play or major label push, the guy has put himself in the position to sell out small arenas in certain areas, and his dedicated fans called “Flockers” are some of the most loyal out there in music.
But unlike some of his contemporaries, Cody Jinks rarely casts stones, and isn’t inclined to spout off against pop country unless the situation is really called for. That happened to be the case when he made a recent visit to the dentist, and was exposed to the Sam Hunt song “Hard To Forget,” though he didn’t know the song or artist at the time.
“I guess I’m just behind the times, I don’t keep up with what’s going on with mainstream radio serving any format,” Cody began in a Facebook missive. “I turned that shit off years ago when I heard how bad the major market stations from most every genre were caving to big labels and playing trash. Trash rock, trash country, trash r&b, trash metal, etc. I don’t make fun of people for what record labels make them sing, I simply chose not to be one of those people, cool.
“However, I was waiting at the dentist office today and they had on a pop country station. That’s fine, but I thought that when the iconic Webb Pierce song “There Stands The Glass” came on there might be a ray of sunshine. Then the sample went off and I heard the biggest piece of shit I’ve heard in a long time. I didn’t know who it was but I was pissed. So much in fact that my blood pressure went up and the dental staff had to wait till it went down to start on me. For the love of God, please stop incorporating classic Country samples into shit songs. It’s not paying homage, it’s a slap in the face.”
Cody’s observation underscores what Saving Country Music said about the song in a rant posted shortly after it was released.
“Birds will fly upside down over Sam Hunt’s ‘Hard To Forget’ because it’s not even worth shitting on … The truly offensive thing here is the fact that Sam Hunt really does believe he’s doing a good turn toward traditional country by sampling Webb Pierce’s ‘There Stands The Glass.’ Yet Hunt might as well have walked into a studio, had the engineers bring the feeders up, and told all traditional country fans calmly and politely to go fuck themselves.”
For most country fans, they would rather listen to a straight up pop or hip-hop song than whatever hybrid is being peddled by many of today’s country stars. It’s patently offensive to take something like a Webb Pierce song, and try to incorporate it into Sam Hunt’s white boy version of Drake-inspired EDM. It’s not about genre purity, it’s about decency and taste. The comments of Cody Jinks underscore that.
Sam Hunt’s “Hard To Forget” currently sits at #4 on country radio.
Just in case you’re curious about the subject in question:
June 30, 2020 @ 8:58 am
God, I hope this doesn’t become a trend…
June 30, 2020 @ 12:16 pm
What a talented artist trashing music that deserves to be trashed from untalented hacks?
I glady welcome that trend.
July 2, 2020 @ 7:56 am
No, I was referencing sampling old country songs in crappy EDM songs.
June 30, 2020 @ 5:08 pm
I remember in the early 90s my peers and I got down to a song called Cotton-Eyed Joe by a group called Red-Nex. I would take that over this any day of the week because silly name aside the song stayed in it’s lane and didn’t try to put on cowboy face. LOL!
July 1, 2020 @ 9:33 am
I love me some Red-Nex, but I would never call them country like the radio did back in the day.
July 1, 2020 @ 12:46 pm
Cody who? Never heard of him.
November 10, 2021 @ 4:42 pm
Because you only know country pop or pop called country, which is what it really is.
November 22, 2021 @ 8:32 pm
Angry Sam Hunt fan over here folks!
December 15, 2021 @ 7:33 pm
I love every song Cody has out! Y’all should really give him a chance because he is awesome and very goodlooking under that beard AND he served OUR COUNTRY as a Marine.
I came across him when looking for new music and I found a goldmine. I found not only him but Arlo McKinley, Cody Johnson and Creed Fisher. I only like a couple of Sam Hunts songs… Nuff said
March 5, 2022 @ 7:58 pm
Do you live under a rock?
December 11, 2022 @ 8:20 am
C/Kody Jinks, Canada, Cannon, Tate, West.. They’re all good.. probably missing a few
June 30, 2020 @ 9:01 am
we stan cody jinks
June 30, 2020 @ 9:07 am
I’ve never heard the song or any other from Sam Hunt. Pretty sure I’m ok with that.
June 30, 2020 @ 9:12 am
I’ve never heard the song and I now consider myself one blessed man.
June 30, 2020 @ 9:45 am
Wow , that is disgusting . Why would he desecrate a real country song but using it in this mess?
June 30, 2020 @ 9:46 am
Sorry not sorry, my kid loves this song and it grew on me.
June 30, 2020 @ 12:56 pm
Doesn’t mean a country music lover should ever have to be exposed to it
June 30, 2020 @ 1:50 pm
Wow, what an excellent gatekeeper you make. Who knew you could judge whether someone is a country music lover by a single comment. I wish I had your abilities. Good lord no wonder people talk so much trash about this site when people like you and hoptown are the ones making comments
June 30, 2020 @ 2:11 pm
Hey!
Easy on Hoptown.
Hoptown is cool.
June 30, 2020 @ 2:35 pm
I didn’t say that you aren’t a country music lover. Just take what I wrote as I wrote it.
July 1, 2020 @ 7:17 am
To be fair, he’s exactly right.
June 30, 2020 @ 1:43 pm
I don’t get the “sorry not sorry” thing.
June 30, 2020 @ 1:52 pm
Sucks to suck.
June 30, 2020 @ 2:03 pm
It means Demi Lovato grew on him too.
July 1, 2020 @ 7:19 pm
As well she should, Demi is a goddess.
June 30, 2020 @ 10:11 am
Thank you Cody! haha
I classify ALL of Hunt’s songs as non country piece of shit efforts. Even though I have only heard a few songs- whatever radio plays – I know the rest of the record will be just as shitty.
June 30, 2020 @ 10:13 am
I’m not going to pretend this song is some sort of masterpiece, but I feel like this is the absolute WRONG song to target when discussing the death of country radio. The use of the sample and the beat are obviously not going to be for everyone, but this is definitely far more “country” than most of Sam Hunt’s past singles. The melody leans country, as does his delivery (notably the line-endings). And the topic – though I know you took issue with some specific lyrics in your album review – does have a classic country vibe.
We often roll our eyes when people complain that “country needs to evolve,” since the people saying that are really just trying to inject pop, R&B, hip-hop or rock into country radio. This song does, however, feel like an attempt at that more tasteful form of “evolution.” Not saying it’s ideal, but it feels more like an honest attempt to add some electronic/pop elements into a core country song … as opposed to just releasing a pop song and calling it country.
But, look, I know I’m not going to convince anyone on THIS site that this is an admirable “country” song. One irrefutable thing I will point out, however, is the extent to which this is connecting. It’s been strong on iTunes for several weeks, which is big considering Sam Hunt seemed to lose a lot of momentum with Downtown’s Dead and Kinfolks.
It’s also interesting to note that the song wasn’t selling well until it hit radio; it actually greatly underperformed in its first week on iTunes. That tells you that it’s country radio listeners – not necessarily Sam Hunt stans – that are buying this song.
That doesn’t make it good – but it does mean that radio is justified in playing it right now.
June 30, 2020 @ 10:24 am
And, look, I’m not saying Sam Hunt releasing this song is admirable. Releasing 2016, an actual country song, to radio would be the truly admirable move on his part.
But I am just saying that of all the Sam Hunt (or any solo country male) songs to pinpoint as especially bad…this is the wrong one.
June 30, 2020 @ 11:12 am
I just listened to “2016” and wow, I’m blown away. Sam Hunt is actually capable of making a good country song. I want more stuff from him like that.
June 30, 2020 @ 11:16 am
it pains me to say this Saving Bro ( and please change your ‘handle’ ..please ) but you make a strong point .
the lyric here is NOT the worst thing Sam or an of the bros or popsters have recorded. musically , though , this sounds like something from an old video game . nothing interesting , creative , inspiring , entertaining , engaging or COUNTRY ( Randall King , Tristan Marez, Lauren Masceratti ) whatsoever . its the right song to target , but for all the wrong reasons .
July 1, 2020 @ 7:19 am
A lot of dullards with shit taste in music buy & download shit music.
Mystery solved.
June 30, 2020 @ 10:26 am
Sampling a Webb Pierce song on a Sam Hunt track is the definition of casting pearls before swine.
June 30, 2020 @ 11:00 am
Cody mad bc he cant get in the radio biz lulz
June 30, 2020 @ 12:19 pm
So what excuse did you have when Zac Brown trashed That’s My Kind of Night?
June 30, 2020 @ 10:10 pm
Yeah and Sam’s daddy’s mad b/c he didn’t pull out and wipe it on the sheets.
December 9, 2023 @ 9:31 pm
I know I’m like 3.5 years late here but holy shit I just laughed too hard at this. And also had to say your handle is amazing
July 1, 2020 @ 5:36 pm
Bill Burr was on Joe Rogan’s podcast last week. They were discussing how comedians need to shun deals and just sell their stuff independent. Burr said a guy would make more money selling 20,000 downloads than if they sold 1,000,000 with a label. I think that is how Cody feels. Jinks and his team around him own his stuff. Jinks will still be making money from his current stuff when Sam Hunt is long forgotten.
July 11, 2020 @ 1:07 am
Big difference between “can’t” and “won’t”.
June 30, 2020 @ 11:24 am
I don’t think COUNTRY fans needed CJ to tell us what we know only too well . alan jackson and george covered that ground years ago and its pretty much only gotten worse since.
but …lotsa great options , just the same . if a listener is happy with that beige-ish -non-descript-works -with -any- carpet -or -furnishings- in your environment -wallpaper mainstream calls ‘country music’ she has my sympathies but not my forgiveness when the far better options are all around us .
June 30, 2020 @ 11:38 am
I’m not going to defend the song, but at the same time I don’t really get the outrage. Keep things in perspective. It’s a sample in a pop music song. That’s been going on for decades. Kanye samples blues and gospel for example, and it adds some interest to the song.
The problem, as always, is that pop is being passed off as country. What can be done? Nada, as far as I can tell. So fine, call it something else. Twang. Ameripolitan. Americana. Or whatever.
Why not? It used to be called Hillbilly. Then Country-Western. Then just Country. It can change again.
June 30, 2020 @ 2:13 pm
I personally don’t have an issue with the song sampling another song, my issue is that the song (which isn’t country in the slightest), is getting constant airplay on COUNTRY music radio.
July 1, 2020 @ 6:10 am
This.
June 30, 2020 @ 11:58 am
The song is AWESOME!!!! This stupidity about “it’s not real country” is just a form of jealousy. Certain artist are learning that the fans like the new sound. And stop acting like country music can’t handle diversity. Have you ever heard of Bluegrass or Country Western??? And, yes, I am a Sam Hunt fan. BTW, if you’ve never heard of Sam Hunt or never heard a Sam Hunt song just proves how out of touch you are. Nobody’s do not headline “Rockin’ New Years” with Ryan Seacrest on ABC. BTW, I’ve never heard of Cody Junks, Jinks, or whoever he is that’s “selling out” small venues. Go ahead with your 300 fans. It’s not going to slow down Sam Hunt one bit.
June 30, 2020 @ 2:10 pm
Keith, I personally don’t give a rats ass if you like this Sam Hunt song, but to suggest it’s jealousy to criticize a terrible song is one of the most idiotic things I’ve heard in my life. Cody Jinks is very well known artist, and if you look beyond the “Country Top 30 with Bobby Bones”, you’ll find that there are plenty of good artists. If this is sarcasm or satire, then well done, because you honestly had me fooled at first, but I can’t really tell for sure.
June 30, 2020 @ 3:08 pm
Jealousy does illicit such passion. Exactly what is the most radical song which still fits in your proverbial box. That is, since you are the “country” police. As for me, if the masses want to consider it country, then who the hell are you to say different. That is, unless you are the “country” police.
June 30, 2020 @ 7:02 pm
“elicit”. “Illicit” is an adjective and doesn’t mean anything like “elicit”, which is a verb.
June 30, 2020 @ 10:14 pm
Wow!!!! Wonderful insight!!!! Way to add to the discussion!
July 1, 2020 @ 6:11 am
Thanks!
July 1, 2020 @ 6:12 am
I am the country police. This song is not country.
I have spoken.
July 1, 2020 @ 5:41 pm
Go listen to Sturgill Simpson “Mercury In Retrograde” or “Turtles” if you need real country that is very non-traditional and also really good. It is not this condescending shit that SH put out here. If you like it, great. We will agree to disagree.
July 10, 2020 @ 10:57 am
Keith, I’ve never considered myself the “country police”. But if caring about the preservation of the roots of a genre of music makes me that, then I guess I’m proud to be the country police.
July 11, 2020 @ 1:23 am
Keith – you say that “if you’ve never heard of Sam Hunt or never heard a Sam Hunt song just proves how out of touch you are” – and then you go on to say “I’ve never heard of Cody Junks, Jinks, or whoever he is that’s “selling out” small venues”. Cody’s last four album releases have all made top 10 in the country charts…..so if you genuinely haven’t heard of him, the only conclusion that can logically be drawn is that you’re not listening to country music. You can’t have it both ways.
June 30, 2020 @ 12:14 pm
Leroy Virgil went off on Cunt too when he was filling-in for Shooter on The Electric Rodeo.
June 30, 2020 @ 1:44 pm
Sam Hunt is a talent bereft wanker. He could’ve recorded and endless loop of wet farts and it would have sounded better than that abomination. Any criticism lobbed his way is valid and deserved.
June 30, 2020 @ 5:07 pm
What’d Leroy say?
June 30, 2020 @ 11:27 pm
Basically the same as Jinks, but he added there’s either some of Pierce’s catalog or maybe “There Stands the Glass” exclusively not available on streaming services related to Hunt’s sample due to legal matters (there was a particular song he wanted to use for the show and it wasn’t available).
Also, I was surprised by Virgil’s guest DJ set being so hardcore blues and not country.
June 30, 2020 @ 1:31 pm
This song is probably another one of his drunken bloopers.
June 30, 2020 @ 2:01 pm
It’s just as bad as when Keith Urban used the Hag’s “Mama Tried” guitar riff on a terrible song
June 30, 2020 @ 2:19 pm
Sorry, coundn’;tlisten to the whole song. What I did hear was TERRIBLE!
June 30, 2020 @ 2:31 pm
The topic is worn out at this point. Rock/alternative country= older people, pop country=younger ppl. Cody jinks/sturgill/isbell aren’t country, sam hunt and all the other bros aren’t country. Country is nothing but a pool now for a nonexistent rock genre, and can’t make it pop singers. Both will throw in their true country sounding songs:2016, somewhere in the middle.Yet overall it’s easy to tell which direction jinks would like to go in, and sam hunt as well. Rock music has died because younger people aren’t into it, and what do you know, the never ending “what is country” debate makes total sense now
June 30, 2020 @ 6:48 pm
Did you just call me old?
June 30, 2020 @ 6:26 pm
unless the situation is really called for? That would be never! Most of country radio sucks and has for decades. Take the high road praise the good stuff if you choose and just ignore all of the crap that’s out there.
June 30, 2020 @ 6:55 pm
Yeah. Strapped into the dentist chair and forced to listen to the pop-country the dental hygienist gals love is basically torture. Especially if it’s a 2008-10 era Sugarland song (“All I Wanna Do,” “Stuck Like Glue”).
June 30, 2020 @ 9:30 pm
When I go to the dentist, I have them turn the tv/music off.
I’m neither a fan of Hunt or Jinks. Although I think Cody has a great voice, none of his songs live up to the hype or his vocal talent for me. Sometimes it’s best to just do your thing and let other people do their thing. Jinks comes across as an Isbell level asshole here.
July 1, 2020 @ 7:29 pm
Ah. Sugarland. A woman who sounds like nails on a chalkboard and the sideshow that doesn’t know what to do but look up at her while he bangs a guitar. Glad the glue wore off.
July 1, 2020 @ 8:48 pm
Thought the same thing, and I’m a fan of Cody. I could laugh at a story that went down the same way and his mind was blown by the bait & switch of the SH song. But to get so mad you burst a coronary, why so serious man lol?
June 30, 2020 @ 10:09 pm
I’ll just go ahead and say it. Fuck Sam Hunt. Fuck mainstream country music. Fuck shitty EDM/Hip Hop/ Pop hybrid “country” “music,” and “Fuck Nashville. We’ll start our own damn club.”
June 30, 2020 @ 10:26 pm
To desecrate the memory of Webb Pierce and his immortal country masterpiece “There Stands The Glass” is just unforgivable. Yeah yeah, I know 2 years ago there were some who decried Keith Urban for sampling Merle Haggard’s masterpiece “Mama Tried” on “Coming Home” but that really didn’t bother me because while I didn’t love “Coming Home”, I certainly didn’t think it was awful, and Keith Urban is still a country artist who has shown a ton of reverence and respect for country music. Sam Hunt on the other hand seems to take great pleasure in destroying country radio with his metrosexual brand of bad pop music completely mislabeled as country. And what’s so sad about it is much like “Southern Girl”, “Drink To That All Night”, and “Burnin’ It Down”, the lyrics aren’t actually all that bad, I’ve certainly heard much much worse. What kills the song is the EDM instrumentation and vocal effects
June 30, 2020 @ 11:55 pm
With a little bit of imagination, you can also hear a Charlie Pride “Kiss An Angel Good Morning” vibe in this song along with a few other traditional country licks. The Webb Pierce folks signed off on it and got writing credits. I like Sam Hunt and I like Cody Jinks so I guess I’m in the very small minority.
July 1, 2020 @ 11:51 am
Yeah, it’s John Conlee’s Common Man. Took me a while to nail it down but it’s a rip off.
July 1, 2020 @ 2:25 am
Came. Read. Clicked. Listened. Just how many levels of fucked up are there, anyway?
July 1, 2020 @ 4:17 am
I love Cody Jinks music and I have no like for Sam’s music. But Cody is not the gatekeeper of country music and I think there is a difference from expressing a view and being self righteous about your music and genre. I think he’s done the latter here unfortunately.
Country music is not a stuck up cult and should never be this way.
July 1, 2020 @ 7:47 am
He told an anecdote from a dentist office. Not seeing anywhere where he named himself the gatekeeper of country. In fact his qualifying statements say otherwise.
July 1, 2020 @ 5:18 am
Funny thing is I can really picture Cody sitting there, hearing this crap and getting really angry. It is the only correct response.
July 1, 2020 @ 9:45 am
The thing about this song that is so jarring for me is that it’s such a horrific bait and switch. You hear that aching tenor voice singing about something real and then it’s Metro Bro time. Actually messing with Webb Pierce’s voice, too. Much worse than what Keith Urban did.
July 1, 2020 @ 11:16 am
Trigglita,
Why Link to it? I’ve never figured out why you do that.
I had the same reaction as Cody, except I accidentally heard it on WSM of all places. It made me feel angry.
July 1, 2020 @ 11:20 am
When I first posted this article, I did not include a player for “Hard To Forget.” But when I saw people on Facebook reacting with no real contextualization for the song, I chose to add it. The meager amount of listens it will receive here will be a drop in the bucket, while it is certainly editorially relevant.
July 1, 2020 @ 3:41 pm
Good for Jinks.
Sam Hunt is the COVID-19 of country music.
July 1, 2020 @ 9:00 pm
Meh on Sam Hunt in general, though appreciate his contribution to the remix of Breland’s “My Truck.”
But seriously, there is no need to get this worked up about him, either. No music sounds like it did decades ago. Current hip hop does not sound like 80s rap, EDM does not sound like disco, today’s pop doesn’t sound like 60s pop, etc. It’s ok. Every generation likes to have music that is theirs. (Witness Zoomers’ passionate dedication to kpop, for instance.) Music that is, by definition, not what their parents like.
July 15, 2021 @ 9:49 am
Cody is 10x better than Sam Hunt (who isn’t even CLOSE to country music!) Cody has one of the best voices in the business-Hands down