Chase Rice just wants everyone to get along. The country music hitmaker is part of a genre that has become known for artists speaking out about their political beliefs. Social media feeds are filled with divisive posts about poltiics, something Rice fortunately wants no part of.
“People get up in arms about politics and stuff,” he tells American Essence. “All this bickering is a shame. At the end of the day, what’s important is recognizing that this country is insanely special. And it’s important that we recognize the people who have fought for this country. We don’t have freedom without them.”
Rice reveals that he has a framed quote from President Ronald Reagan in his home, which says, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. … It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” It’s a quote that still rings true for Rice to this day.
“We need to keep fighting for freedom,” he adds.
Chase Rice Talks About Taking a Break in 2026
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Rice announced earlier this year that he was taking a much-needed break from touring, after spending more than a dozen years grinding it out on the road, in the studio, and in writing rooms. It all understandably took a toll on his mental health.
“It kind of hit me on a tour bus last fall that I didn’t want to be on that tour bus,” Rice reveals. “I haven’t taken a break from touring in 13 years. I’m taking one now, and I’m as happy as can be.”
When Rice announced he was taking time off the road, he said he would be back, but only after he took care of his own mental health first.
“This isn’t a goodbye thing or anything like that to be clear upfront, although it may feel like that, but I’m exhausted,” he said at the time. “I haven’t been able to be myself on stage in quite a while and really enjoy music and why I got into it in the first place.
“I love songs, I love living them, hearing stories from other people, and figuring out how to put that life into music,” he added. “After 13 years it’s finally beat me up to the point where I need to step away for a while. I need to go live life so that I have more real experiences to write down.”
Now, with 2026 more than half of the way over, the 40-year-old is doing better than ever.
“I didn’t know how much I needed this break, needed to kick back and slow down,” Rice says. “I can’t say I’ll be back with a full tour in 2027. I don’t know. I’m concentrating on living life again. But I’ll get back to full-time at some point.”
Rice did reveal earlier this year that he was back in the studio, working on new music. In 2025, he released his ELDORA album. He also recently released “Connie Lou,” a tribute to his own mother.
Photo Credit: Tristan Wall