Songfacts®:

• "I Hate Alabama" tells the story of how Conner Smith lost his love in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and how he can't stand the place anymore. Drawing parallels to the rough patches faced by his beloved Tennessee Volunteers in their football clashes with the Alabama Crimson Tide, Smith's heartache is as profound as his team's losing streak. It's not a disdain for the state but a distaste for the memories that linger.
• Crafted by Drew Green, Hunter Phelps, Lee Starr, and Nick Columbia, the song found its way to Smith through Hunter Phelps, who knew about Smith's deep-rooted love for the Tennessee Volunteers. The moment Smith and his producer, Zach Crowell, laid ears on it, they knew they had something special. "Just as a song, it is so well written, and this story really felt like a lightning-in-a-bottle type of song," he told Billboard.
• Despite Smith's eagerness to release "I Hate Alabama," finding label support proved challenging. Undeterred, he took matters into his own hands, posting a video of himself singing the song on Instagram. The video went viral, catching the attention of Scott Borchetta, owner of Big Machine Records. Borchetta signed Smith, and on October 8, 2021, the song hit the airwaves under the Valory Music Co. imprint.
• October 2021 marked a milestone for Smith when "I Hate Alabama" made its chart debut, peaking at #21 on Country Digital Song Sales after gaining traction on TikTok.
  
  The song's surge found its peak when the University of Georgia triumphed over the University of Alabama in the College Football Playoff National Championship on January 10, 2022, adding an extra layer of resonance to the lyrics.
  
  "The Lord's timing is perfect and that was true with ["I Hate Alabama"]. We put out this song on a Friday and the very next day, Alabama lost in football for the first time in two years," Smith told Billboard. "That is what made the song explode. So now anytime Alabama is playing, the song gets some love."