Kenny Chesney has another gift for his fans: a new way to enjoy his latest album, BORN. The singer-songwriter reveals he is giving fans the option to have the record on vinyl, another way he is doing everything he can for his loyal fanbase.
“I’m lucky,” Chesney says. “I have fans who still believe in the actual listening experience, starting an album at the beginning and taking the journey the songs are creating. Experiencing and asking ‘How does this music define a moment or a state of life? How does it color or reflect my mind?’”
It’s Chesney’s own experience as a fan of music before being an artist, which inspired him to release BORN on vinyl as well.
“So much of my own life’s been defined by what I was listening to over the years, and still is,” explains the singer. “That’s a whole different way of consuming music than just a hit. Knowing that, I decided to go ahead and do vinyl. It’s a limited run, but it’s there for all the people who put on albums and make that kind of listening a destination. For anyone who sinks into the songs, this is for you.”
With 15 songs on BORN, his biggest record to date, the Tennessee native wanted to make sure the project was accessible for everyone and their preferred way of enjoying his music.
“It’s a lot of music, and a lot of life,” Chesney says. “I realized all that can be taken in in different ways. While we’re only doing a limited pressing, which will be available at select retail stores and through the website, I wanted this music to be in whatever form No Shoes Nation wants to experience it through.”
In an era where artists churn out music quickly, Chesney took four years, since the release of Here and Now in 2020, to release what he says is the most personal record he has ever released.
“I think the best thing someone could say about this album BORN is that it reflects me, is that it’s genuine,” Chesney says. “It’s not made-up, and there’s just a lot of me on it. It’s a fun record to listen to. It’s an emotional record to listen to. It’s a mirror to my life, and I think that’s what I would say when somebody asked me what do you want people to hear from this? What do you hope they take away from it? And that would be it.”
Chesney will embark on his Sun Goes Down Tour on April 20 in Tampa, Florida. While fans are eager to see Chesney on the road, the country music hitmaker is just as eager to see them, and maybe more.
“I wanted a name that suggested – obviously – when all the good stuff starts to happen,” Chesney reveals. “The one thing I’ve learned about No Shoes Nation and these stadium shows is they start the good times early and they just keep it going. But we all know, when the sun goes down, that’s when people really get loose and enjoy themselves.”
Chesney will be joined on the road by the Zac Brown Band, Megan Moroney and Uncle Kracker serving as his opening acts. The tour concludes with three shows at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on August 23, 24 and 25.
Find the vinyl version of BORN, all of Chesney’s music and tour dates at KennyChesney.com.
