Kenny Chesney is officially working on new music.
The East Tennessee native confirmed he is writing songs for his next project in a recent social media post.
“California dreaming on such a winter’s day… Out here writing songs and thinking about next year’s tour makes me happy,” Chesney shared alongside a photo of himself with the California coastline behind him.
Fans have been awaiting new music from Chesney for quite some time. His latest full-length project, Here And Now, was released in May of 2020. The album includes singles such as “Tip Of My Tongue,” “Happy Does,” the chart-topping “Knowing You,” and the energy-filled title track.
This summer, Chesney surprised fans with the release of a new track, “Beer With My Friends,” with his longtime tour mates, Old Dominion.
The exciting news of new music comes just days after the announcement of Chesney’s 2023 I Go Back Tour.
Kicking off on March 25 in State College, PA, the I Go Back 2023 Tour will visit 21 cities across the U.S., many of which hold a special place in Chesney’s heart.
“I remember coming up, the craziness of so many of those dates,” Chesney recently shared. “Markets where people were using chain-cutters to get onto the lawn because we were so sold out in the Carolinas… and that’s a kind of energy that should never be left behind. For all those fans – based on how good last year felt – I want to bring what was coming off that stage to you, where you are, so we can all have that kind of experience together!”
Joining the eight-time Entertainer of the Year on the road will be his longtime friend, “Half Of My Hometown” collaborator, and fellow East Tennessee native, Kelsea Ballerini.
“Kelsea understands everything about where I come from, because she’s from there, too,” Chesney shared in a statement. “She knows how hard it is to leave, how much you miss all those things that make you who you are… but also how the only way to chase the kind of dream she has is to do just that. It’s a tough call when you love home the way we both do, but for kids like us, there was never really a choice.
“When she texted me to sing on the song she’d written with some of our friends, I said, ‘Let me hear it,’ knowing she knew everything about who I was,” he continued. “As soon as I heard that first verse, I was in. And I have been one of Kelsea’s biggest fans ever since. She’s a writer, a girl who sings from her heart and isn’t afraid to honor where she comes from. To me, there was no other choice for this tour.”
After teaming up for their award-winning collab, the pair formed a friendship and Ballerini says the opportunity to tour with Chesney was a welcome one.
“Music has taken me so many incredible places,” Ballerini said. “Around the world, singing with some of my heroes in pop, alternative and contemporary music, but singing with Kenny is going home. He was the only voice I heard on ‘half of my hometown,’ and when he comes in, it’s just like hitting the Knoxville city limits. So to be able to go out to those cities like the place he and I grew up with an artist who’s accomplished what he has, it’s a lot like going home.”
Pre-sale tickets for Kenny Chesney’s I Go Back Tour are available now. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, December 2 at 10 am local time.
