Hunter Hayes is a rising country-music star with four Grammy nominations, a 2012 Country Music Association New Artist of the Year Award and a 2014 Guinness World Record for his 24-hour blitz of 10 live gigs in 10 different cities. But music isn't his sole passion.
"When I was a kid, one of my favorite things was pretending that I was you, essentially — pretending that I was a weatherman," the 22-year-old confided to TODAY's Al Roker during a visit to the studio between performances on the plaza.
Naturally, Roker invited Hayes to assist with the forecast, joking to viewers, "So he's going to hang around; he's going to pretend to be me."
Hayes held his own at the big weather screen, but fans who swarmed the plaza were there for a different frontal system: Hayes' thunderous stage presence and songs.
The musician delivered, tearing through his hits "I Want Crazy," "Tattoo," and "Invisible." He also revealed some exciting news: He and his band will hit the road this fall for a North American tour dubbed "Tattoo (Your Name)." In honor of the upcoming dates, Hayes sported a large henna tattoo on his right arm with emblems from the cities the group will be visiting.
Fans on the plaza were curious about another aspect of Hayes' appearance, too: his hair. On their behalf, TODAY's Tamron Hall asked Hayes the secret to achieving his swept-back pompadour-like style.
"I have no idea," he replied. "I had a lot of help today. Normally, I have about five minutes, and it's just about a can of hairspray."
Hayes' album "Storyline" is currently available in stores and online.