Warner Music NashvilleKenny Chesney is getting ready to do something he’s never done before.
Next month, the country superstar will release his latest album, Here and Now, on vinyl. Pressed onto clear, sea-glass green vinyl, the record will be available via his official online store, as well as through an exclusive partnership with Walmart. The new packaging for the record, which first dropped in May, becomes available on August 21.
Kenny says he was inspired to release the record to vinyl in part because of the COVID-19 quarantine, a time when more fans than ever are listening to music in their homes.
“With so many of us staying home, having the time to really dive into the music and listen — and based on the passion for this project — it seemed like now is the time to do vinyl,” he explains, adding that his own recent experience with LPs further convinced him to explore a different listening format.
“I had a friend give me a stack of albums from the ‘70s and ‘80s a few years ago, and there really is something different about settling in and listening. It’s warmer. It has a bit more presence, sonically,” Kenny goes on to say. “It’s a whole other way to listen, and right now, that feels like a good thing.”
The first single and title track off of Here and Now recently became the superstar’s 31st number-one hit at country radio. Late last month, he served up a new track to radio with the uplifting “Happy Does.”
By Carena Liptak
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