It’s been a pretty big year for Hunter Hayes, to say the least. In addition to releasing his first No. 1 song, ‘Wanted,’ Hayes’ hit also achieved certified platinum status earlier this fall — not to mention dozens of accolades he’s received. Yesterday (Oct. 22), Hayes appeared on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ to perform his most popular tune.

The 21-year-old rising star took the stage wearing a comfortable pair of jeans, sneakers, gray v-neck shirt, and brown leather jacket. Before he even sang the first note of ‘Wanted,’ it was clear that he was focused on his performance. As soon as Ellen introduced him and his band, Hayes (who was seated at a piano) launched into the soulful country ballad.

It takes a lot of talent to pound the keys and sing lead vocals at the same time, but Hayes didn’t stumble once. When the song ended, the host walked on stage to hug the ‘Storm Warning’ hitmaker. As a special treat, she gave everyone in the audience a copy of Hayes’ self-titled album. Talk about a fun take-home!

Although he played it cool, it seems that Hayes was really excited to be invited to play on ‘Ellen.’ A behind-the-scenes clip shows the beaming young star thanking DeGeneres and her team for having him on the show — and then he joked that he could sit in the comfy chair in his dressing room forever. Branded with the ‘Ellen’ logo, it would have been the perfect souvenir. So, why not take it home? At the end of the short video, Hayes walked off carrying the chair to his car, although, we’re sure he was joking. Right? Pretty sure, anyway.

Watch Hunter Hayes on ‘Ellen’

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