Kenny Chesney can’t wait to share his new album with the rest of the world. The Tennessee native already released his current single, “Take Her Home,” from his next record, one he has been pouring his heart and soul into ever since Here and Now was released in 2020.
“I’m ready,” Chesney says of his next project. “Because of the amount of time we’ve had to work… and not just work, but really just hang out, write, experiment and play with different kinds of music… I got to go places, do some things we wouldn’t normally try because we have such a clear vision of what we’re trying to do.”
As always, the country music hitmaker thinks the most about what his fans, dubbed No Shoes Nation, will enjoy most, both listening to and when he performs live.
“Of course, I have to figure out which of the songs makes this record… what or why we’re holding some of these recordings for… and what’s the best collection of songs we can give No Shoes Nation,” Chesney explains. “We’ve been having an ongoing conversation about life, love, friendships, what we lose and the people we remember since ‘Young,’ and that’s something I’m mindful of.”
With almost four years between projects, the 55-year-old admits the hardest part isn’t finding and writing songs — it’s knowing which ones to include on his new set of tunes.
“There is so much to say – and sing – about lives people between the coasts are experiencing,” Chesney says. “It doesn’t take a lot to be happy, if you choose to seek it, just like the passion people beyond New York and L.A. employ every day is every bit as thrilling. To me, that’s what my songs are made of… and looking at this list, I wouldn’t be surprised if this record comes in a little bit longer than normal, because there are too many good songs to leave behind.”
Chesney revealed last spring that he was hard at work on the record, but refused then, and now, to put a timeline on its completion.
“The one thing I can say about it is that it is still in motion,” Chesney told Audacy‘s Katie Neal. “People ask me when it’s going to come out, and the best answer I have honestly is, ‘When I feel like it’s done.’ It’s easy to rush it, and it’s easy to put music out when people think it might be time, but I think I’ve earned the right to get it right. I mean, I love it now, but I want to be in love.”
Chesney will embark on his Sun Goes Down Tour on April 20 in Tampa, Florida, with Zac Brown Band, Megan Moroney and Uncle Kracker serving as his opening acts. The tour will conclude with an unprecedented three shows at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on August 23, 24 and 25. Find music and tour dates at KennyChesney.com.