Hunter Hayes recently earned a Grammy nomination for Best Country Solo Performance, for his single 'Invisible.' The artist co-wrote the song, which was the debut single from his sophomore 'Storyline' album, with Bonnie Baker and Katrina Elam, in response to his own experiences with bullying while in school, which he says makes the recognition that much sweeter.

"To be nominated for a Grammy is one of the most exciting things that can happen in your career,” Hayes says. “For ‘Invisible’ to be nominated is so special for me and my co-writers and the phenomenal team who recorded this record. This is one of the happiest days of my career so far."

The 23-year-old hopes others draw inspiration from the song's powerful message.

“To me, it’s also just about being misunderstood,” Hayes explains. “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," he continues. "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.”

Hayes performed 'Invisible' at the Grammy Awards ceremony last year, where he was also nominated for Best Country Solo Performance, for his song 'I Want Crazy.'

Download 'Invisible' here.

More From TheBoot