Invisible

Album: Storyline (2014)
Charted: 44
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The first single from Hunter Hayes' second album is about bullying, a subject that is close to the singer's heart. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight's Nancy O'Dell, Hunter said regarding the piano ballad: "To me it's also just about being misunderstood. Just me being in high school, just the smallest scale I know compared to a lot of stories that I've heard, a lot of people that I've met ... yes, I was a total geek, I was a total nerd, and you know, I still am, and I'm proud of that. But it took me a while to realize that it's OK to be proud of that, right? Because in that time and period of my life, if you didn't fit in, what else was there?"

    "Fortunately for me I had incredible parents" Hunter added. " I had an incredible support system, musicians around me, and that showed me that there was hope - that there was maybe something else I could look forward to."
  • Hunter debuted the song at the Grammy Awards on January 26, 2014. His performance was accompanied by visuals of quotes of affirmation from the likes of John Lennon, Lady Gaga and Steve Jobs.
  • Hayes told Radio.com the song is a totally new concept for him,. "I always write about something pretty personal, he explained, "[but] this sets a new standard for me. I didn't go in to write this song necessarily, I went in to write something else."

    He added: "[Songwriters] Bonnie Baker, Katrina Elam and I ended up writing about how we all, in different ways, can relate to the message of being an outcast, being misunderstood, being… essentially bullied. I say that very carefully because I know there's a lot of people who go through that on a much larger scale. In whatever way I can relate to it, the song is about that."
  • Hayes told Nashville reporters that the song really was inspired by real-life events in his schooldays. He revealed that he was bullied a bit, adding: "I'm careful to say that because even in my own experiences, I know that there were a lot of people that had it a lot worse than me. So I will not stand here and complain about it. But, yeah, I went through a lot of different feelings that come with being someone who doesn't fit in at all and will not fit in at all."

    Hunter went on to discuss his struggles with fitting in with his fellow pupils: "I was music-obsessed — all I thought about, all I wanted to do," he recalled. "I would sit in class and draw pictures of tour buses. I would design stage sets on the side of my notebook. And it's such a geeky thing to do, really, if you think about it. Or at least that's how I thought about it when I was in high school. Because nobody else was doing it, and I thought it was weird."

    "It took me a while to realize that it's OK to be proud of that.," he continued "Because in that time and period of my life, if you didn't fit in, what else was there? Fortunately for me I had incredible parents, I had an incredible support system, musicians around me, and that showed me that there was hope — that there was maybe something else I could look forward to."
  • Hunter Hayes recorded this twice. The first time the singer and his people took two months to record the tune, before scratching it. They then re-cut it within four days. He explained to Jam! Music that the first version, "was just too much."

    "I didn't know that," Hayes added. "I didn't realize that. Somebody else pointed it out to me. I felt it in a sort of way but I hadn't really paid attention to my own instinct. It was too big; I was trying way too hard. And it was the result of overcompensating for that whole sophomore thing."

Comments: 2

  • Hanna from KansasThis song reminds me so much of me. I get picked on so much and I just want to disappear most of the time. And the bad thing is that my best friends don't even seem to notice. Which makes me feel even more alone. most of the time I HATE MY LIFE SO MUCH that I just want to die. And since I'm invisible to a lot of people they probably wouldn't even notice.
  • Hanna from KansasI played this song for my FACS class and they were all a bunch of bullies. NOT ANYMORE after they heard this song. I believe it has a strong message about who people can be. This song shows people to be their own person and stick up for themselves. :):)
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Rock Stars of Horror

Rock Stars of HorrorMusic Quiz

Rock Stars - especially those in the metal realm - are often enlisted for horror movies. See if you know can match the rocker to the role.

Harry Shearer

Harry ShearerSongwriter Interviews

Harry is Derek Smalls in Spinal Tap, Mark Shubb in The Folksmen, and Mr. Burns on The Simpsons.

Richie Wise (Kiss producer, Dust)

Richie Wise (Kiss producer, Dust)Songwriter Interviews

Richie talks about producing the first two Kiss albums, recording "Brother Louie," and the newfound appreciation of his rock band, Dust.

00s Music Quiz 1

00s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

Do you know the girl singer on Eminem's "Stan"? If so, this quiz is for you.

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")Song Writing

Director Mark Pellington on Pearl Jam's "Jeremy," and music videos he made for U2, Jon Bon Jovi and Imagine Dragons.

Classic Metal

Classic MetalFact or Fiction

Ozzy, Guns N' Roses, Judas Priest and even Michael Bolton show up in this Classic Metal quiz.