George Strait Teases Next Album, Says He ‘Can’t Wait’ To Tour With Chris Stapleton This Year

George Strait is preparing to head back out on the road for his biggest stadium commitment in nearly a decade. While discussing…

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Madeleine O’Connell

| Posted on

January 10, 2023

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George Strait; Photo by Rick Diamond, Chris Stapleton; Photo by Getty Images for CMT

George Strait is preparing to head back out on the road for his biggest stadium commitment in nearly a decade. While discussing the upcoming stint of shows for a recent cover story of Cowboys & Indians Magazine, he revealed that he “can’t wait” to team up with Chris Stapleton for this journey.

“I love doing shows with Chris. He’s such a huge talent and a really genuine, down-to-earth person,” Strait gushed. 

The news of Strait’s spring stadium tour with Stapleton and Little Big Town was unveiled by Billboard on Monday, Oct. 24. The outlet shared that these shows will mark the 89x platinum artist’s “most extensive stadium run in nine years.” 

“I love doing these shows with George about as much as I like doing anything. There’s nothing to compare it to,” Stapleton told Billboard of the country music legend. “So many of his songs are in the ethos of what country music is. Playing these shows together is a great experience all the way around.”

“When I walk through those curtains and see those smiling faces, my feet don’t touch the ground again ‘til I walk back out and get on that bus that got me there. That’s from a song I wrote called ‘I’ll Always Remember You.’ It’s a true statement,” Strait added. “When we talked about doing these six shows next year with Chris, it was a no-brainer for me. I was all in.”

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The “Troubadour” singer’s upcoming shows will mark his first official tour since his two-year The Cowboy Rides Away Tour in 2014. He spent more than 30 years touring before making the decision to take a step back in 2012. In that time, he has performed a limited number of individual arena, festival and stadium shows, in addition to extending his Strait to Vegas series at T-Mobile Arena in 2022. 

As the opening date quickly approaches, George Strait took a moment to explain that while making the decision to slow down on his touring pace was best for him, it doesn’t mean that the spark doesn’t come back to life every time he steps on stage. 

“It’s kind of a Catch-22 situation for me. I miss it sometimes, but I know if I went hard like I used to, then I would wind up burning myself out,” he told the outlet. “I think I’m on the right pace now, but I do love playing live shows. There’s nothing like it and words can’t describe the feeling you get playing for a big audience. I’ve got great fans and I count my blessings that I’m still able to do that.”

During the interview, “King of Country Music” also teased that he could also have some new music to bring to the stage with him soon. 

“I like making records and plan on doing another one soon,” he told Cowboys & Indians. “I’m narrowing down my song choices now. I’ve always said I’m a melody guy. A great melody can sell a song the best. A great lyric with a lousy melody maybe not so much, but a great lyric along with a great melody is obviously what you’re looking to create.”

George Strait; Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Essential Broadcast Media
George Strait; Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Essential Broadcast Media

This possible next project would mark George Strait’s first album since resigning with MCA records in April of 2022. He has yet to share any further details, but when asked about choosing songs for the new collection, he revealed his plans to follow through with the same methods that have proved to be successful throughout his career.

He continued, “That’s why I’ve had such a great relationship with Dean Dillon, I think he’s the best melody guy in the business. His lyrics are great as well, so there you go. There is no specific message or mood that I’ll be shooting for. I just want to put together a bunch of good songs that stand out individually.”

George Strait will be joined by country stars Little Big Town and Chris Stapleton on his upcoming stadium tour as he makes his way from Glendale, AZ on May 6 to Tampa, FL on August 5. Along the way, he’ll also hit Seattle, Denver, Milwaukee and Nashville. 

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Madeleine O’Connell graduated from North Central College with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Broadcast Communications before deciding to pursue her studies further at DePaul University. There, she earned her masters degree in Digital Communication & Media Arts. O’Connell served as a freelance writer for over two years while also interning with the Academy of Country Music, SiriusXM and Circle Media and assisting with Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast. In addition to Country Now, she has been published in American Songwriter, Music Mayhem, and Holler.Country. Madeleine O’Connell is a member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.