Kenny Chesney's next album is done, but the discovery of three new songs has thrown an unexpected challenge into the mix.

“It’s a little bit like putting a puzzle together," he says, "you know the best possible thing is there, you just have to figure it out. It’s been kind of fun, kind of crazymaking, but it reminds me the power of an actual album, you know? Ten, twelve songs that hold together, not as a concept, but more as a vibe rather than just a flood of songs.”

It's a vibe that was set in motion by his top-20 hit "Carry On."

The three new songs fundamentally change the record he's co-producing with longtime collaborator Buddy Cannon, Kenny's first for the new HEY NOW Records.

"I'm trying to find the sequence and make some decisions, but those three songs make this a whole other project," Kenny reveals. "Shane McAnally and I had a conversation – just like 'Noise' – and a great song came out of it; someone sent me a song that my friends Brett James and Tony Lane had written that says it all about life… and I've got one that's about a place, but it's also a state of mind and a state of being that's really special. Are they singles? I don't know, but they're great, that's what matters."

As Kenny works to turn in his record, you can check out his new conversation with rock/rap producer Rick Rubin on his Tetragrammaton podcast, which premieres Wednesday.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.