Remember When Kenny Chesney Released ‘You and Tequila,’ Featuring Grace Potter, to Country Radio?

The hit collaboration was released to radio in of May 2011.

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

May 4, 2021

2:12 pm

Grace Potter, Kenny Chesney; Photo Courtesy CMA Awards

It’s been a decade since Kenny Chesney’s smash hit, “You and Tequila” hit country radio.

The GRAMMY-nominated song features guest vocals from Grace Potter and was released as the fourth single from Chesney’s 13th studio album, Hemingway’s Whiskey.

Co-written by Deana Carter and Matraca Berg, “You and Tequila” finds Chesney and Potter comparing a relationship to a the beloved libation, declaring, “‘Cause you and Tequila make me crazy/ Run like poison in my blood.”

Chesney and Potter never met until the day he called her to join him on the song.

“I never actually met Kenny,” Grace once told The Boot. “I didn’t know anything about his music, except his song, ‘She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy.’ I really had no idea what kind of person I was going to be meeting that day. I thought, ‘Cool, I’m going to sing that song,’ and it turned into really a pretty long-lasting relationship that has carried over.”

She and her band, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, later joined Chesney on tour where they shared the stage to perform “You and Tequila” together each night.

The pair joined forces to bring “You and Tequila” to life with a music video shot in Malibu, California.

The track was nominated for Best Country Song and Best Country Duo/Group Performance at the 54th Grammy Awards in 2012. “You and Tequila” was certified 2x platinum by the RIAA on August 9, 2018.

Click above to re-live the song.

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.