Sam Hunt Earns RIAA 2x Platinum for "Southside"

Sam Hunt's sophomore album, Southside, has officially been certified 2x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The certification, dated November 20, 2025, recognizes 2,000,000 certified units in the United States. Released on April 3, 2020, via MCA Nashville, the album was Hunt's first full-length project since his breakout debut six years earlier and features a collection of his signature genre-blending tracks, including several successful singles.

Born in Cedartown, Georgia, Sam Hunt initially pursued a professional football career after playing in college before shifting his focus to music and moving to Nashville. He first gained prominence as a songwriter, penning hits for country stars like Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, and Reba McEntire. After signing with MCA Nashville in 2014, Hunt released his debut album, Montevallo, which broke numerous chart records and established him as a major force in country music. He is widely recognized for incorporating pop and R&B elements into his sound, earning him an American Music Award, a CMT Music Award, and nominations for both Grammy and Billboard Music Awards.

Southside continued Hunt's commercial success, anchored by the monumental hit single "Body Like A Back Road." The lighthearted track was written as an ode to his then-fiancée, Hannah Lee Fowler, shortly after their engagement. Fowler had previously been the inspiration for much of his debut album, Montevallo, and the apologetic song "Drinkin' Too Much." Hunt noted of the song's tone, "I've been taking songwriting a little too serious lately." The album also includes the popular singles "Kinfolks," "Hard To Forget," and "Breaking Up Was Easy In The 90's." Hunt maintains a strong digital presence with over 5.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify and more than 1.6 billion total views on his YouTube channel.