Walker Hayes Reveals Why He ‘Loves To Write Drinking Songs’ Despite Sobriety: ‘It’s Human’

Walker Hayes tells HollywoodLife why he ‘loves’ songs like ‘AA’ & other drinking songs, despite his own sober journey.

Ahead of his two-night performance at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT on Kane Brown‘s Blessed and Free tour, Walker Hayes spent the day in the area entertaining his six kids at a nearby trampoline park, filled with go-karts, games and more. “Here, it’s so fun, and it’s fun to go do things to get the energy out,” the singer sat with HollywoodLife backstage ahead of the show. “It’s been the biggest blessing, I just get to take them everywhere.” Later in the evening, Walker’s wolf pack joined him on stage for his No. 1 radio hit “Fancy Like,” and showed off their moves.

Recall, over a year ago when the song was released in the midst of the pandemic, Walker and his eldest daughter Lela Hayes took to TikTok with a dance challenge for fans, and it quickly went viral. “It was wild. It was something we did for fun. I never would have suspected I’d be the TikTok guy!” he laughed. “I have a love-hate relationship with TikTok. Some of it, I’m just like, ‘This is terrible,’ but then some of it, I’m like, ‘Man, this is really creative and wholesome and good for the world.”

He admitted that with his new single, “Ya’ll Life,” he and Lela may not be dropping a dance to go along with it, but they’ll “always have ‘Fancy Like.'” “That’s our legacy,” he gushed. Walker added that “Fancy Like” going viral on TikTok did really “help with ‘AA'” and “translate to radio play.”

The country star also reacted to the AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) community’s response to his upbeat single, which details his urge to drink as he tries to be the best dad he can be and keep his marriage alive. Walker, who is sober, laughed, telling HL, “I love AA! But let’s go back to the first beer you ever had …Was your goal to end up in rehab one day? I was trying to relate to most people, who probably haven’t gotten to the point where they’re like, ‘I have a problem.’ But I’m really vocal about that. I’m an excellent drinker, that’s why I had to stop!”

Ahead of the release of his upcoming album Country Stuff: The Album, Walker continued, “I love drinking songs. I love them, I love to write them. Look, if it’s human, I want to write it, and alcoholism is human, so I’m gonna write both sides.” At the same time, he said, “When someone in recovery or thinking about it approaches me, all of my attention goes there, because that’s way bigger than right now and being famous.”