Walker Hayes—father, husband and American country singer—is now an Applebee’s Tik Tok sensation thanks to a song he wrote about the chain that has gone viral. 

After years of dining at Applebee's with his wife Laney, Walker had always envisioned creating a song about his love for the restaurant. He did so via an album released in June that includes the "Fancy Like” single that drove massive attention to the chain, which seized on it in August with an ad from WPP's Grey that keeps growing in popularity.

Social media analytics firm Talkwalker reports that more than 29,000 people engaged with the ad on social media from Aug. 23 to Aug. 30 (in the form of likes, shares, comments, clicks, and retweets). People from all age demographics are conversing about the track, which is hitting a sweet spot with those ages 25-34, who account for 63% of the social media conversation, according to Talkwalker. Applebee's is supporting it with healthy TV spending: One version of the ad peaked with 223 national airings on Aug. 29 and in the last several days is still running more than 100 times a day, according to TV ad tracking service iSpot.tv.

More buzz could come soon with an expected pop-remix version expected to drop.

Ad Age recently caught up with Hayes via a phone interview as he sat in the very room where "Fancy Like" was written and explained the origins of the song, as well as what his life has been like since it became a hit. The conversation below has been lightly edited and condensed.

How did Applebee's become a regular go-to for “date night" in your personal life?

Well, we grew up in Mobile, Alabama, a southern town. And as a family, we didn't eat at home a lot. I was usually getting out of basketball or track or some sport and we would go to dinner as a family and Applebee's is one of the regular ones. On most nights we would go to a cheap Mexican restaurant or a cheap Chinese buffet, but on a fancier night, it was Applebee's. Same with Laney, when we started dating at 17 if we went to prom or something like that, Applebee's was definitely on the list of “where are we going to go grab a bite?” That's what people like me did, and we still do. I guess it's a testament to how simple we are, but we just love chain restaurants.

How did the Applebee's partnership come about?

It was a win-win. We started noticing “fancy” on their signs and things like that and employees doing the dance out in front of their stores. I don't know who reached out first, but it just made sense. I think they were experiencing real humorous confrontations with people wanting the Oreo shake, but they didn’t have it on their menu. I even noticed some waitresses, they were like, “Oh, my gosh, this song, I wish they would stop playing this song. Everyone keeps ordering this shake and we don’t have it.” Applebee’s sense of humor was great, it did not feel like an ad, it felt very authentic and organic. Even the commercial they made, it's really just a compilation of people doing the dance and being happy. It's just so natural and there’s nothing forced about it. It coincides with family, and local and that is totally me and Laney, we’re just family people. 
 

At a time where entertainers were forced to go on a hiatus due to COVID-19 preventing concerts and large-scale events, you were able to keep music going. When did you begin creating the song? 

The song really isn't that old. Country Stuff (his album) was released June 4th. And I would guarantee you that “Fancy Like” was either written at the end of April or the beginning of May. We had finished Country Stuff and as soon as we finished we were like, all bets are off. Let's just break the rules, and so we wrote “Fancy Like,” I'm actually sitting in the room where we wrote it on a Monday and we knew it was going on the album that night. 

The vocal that's on the track is the vocal that I cut at home that day. When you talk about bringing people together, when I think about creators, when the world is where it is right now, we all just desperately feel hopeless, but artists just want to help. You truly think to yourself “How can I write something to help people?” You don't think a song about Applebee's is going to be medicine that everybody needs, but you just want to help. I was home longer than I've ever been home in my life and that's what this song is about, it is what we do as a household, as a couple and I doubt I would have written that song if I had been gone doing shows. It came out of a special place and a special headspace. The song is a great distraction from all the division going on in the world. 

Have you visited the restaurant after the hit single? 

Applebee's has hooked my family with some sick gift cards, so we’ve been putting those to use. I mean, why would I go anywhere else? Applebee's has been so gracious! The fact that they had a sense of humor and had fun jumping up and using the song in the commercial was like a consideration to be a part of their family,  and we loved it. Applebee's is definitely who we are, so we'll take it. 

How was collaborating with your daughter on this song?

This memory is priceless, it just wasn’t calculated and that’s a great lesson to me. My daughter is learning that there's no limit. She realized that that dance she created in a couple minutes with her dad can reach the other side of the earth in a moment and make somebody happy as they learn it with somebody they love. Lela is learning the power of music. I'll do a dance to every song if my daughter wants, to me it’s really about that. Sweating on the porch with her and laughing every time I mess it up. We’re all just on cloud nine and we’re grateful.

Can we expect any future TikToks from you? 

(Laughing) No, I always see [social media apps] as an exciting challenge. You figure one out and then another one comes out. I love the fact that TikTok takes all gatekeepers out of the equation. Just like we did with “Fancy Like” we literally posted a video and it got to the universe and that’s all you can ask as an artist. 

What did the Pandemic teach you?

As we’re coming out of it and this song is popping, I’m having to say “yes” to really large exposures, TV spots and stuff. I have to remain true to my priorities and where this came from. This came from being with my family and so it’s really been challenging. I love the opportunity, but I want to be with my family.

Favorite go-to meal on the Applebee's Menu? 

Easy! It really is the Bourbon steak. My family is alarmed if I order something different. I love the quesadilla burger, it’s really a close second to the Bourbon steak. Always the Oreo Shake, it doesn’t matter what I get, I always finish it off with that.