Kenny Chesney says he already knew how he wanted his new country album, Silver Sands Marina, to end, until he heard a song that changed his mind. The 11-track project, Chesney's 21st studio album, is due out September 25 and includes collaborations with Megan Moroney, Colbie Caillat and Lily Meola, Taste of Country reported.
The closing track, "Shot Glass," was co-written by Chesney's old friend Brett James, a songwriter whose 25-year career included "When the Sun Goes Down" for Chesney himself and "I Hold On" for Dierks Bentley, along with the songs that helped launch Carrie Underwood's career, including "Jesus Take the Wheel," "Church Bells," "Love Wins," "Cowboy Casanova," "The Champion" and her Miranda Lambert duet "Somethin' Bad." James was killed along with his wife and step-daughter in a small-plane crash near an elementary school in Franklin, North Carolina, on September 18, 2025, and Silver Sands Marina arrives just a week after the one-year anniversary of his death.
During a conversation with Holly Gleason streamed on TalkShopLive, Chesney pointed to one line from the song: "Tell me, how did all that fit into a shot glass?" He said singing it takes some life experience. "Now, to sing that song, you have to have lived a little bit," he said. "You have to have a little bit of perspective."
"Then I think about my friend Brett, and his life, and how much fun we had together and all the journeys we went on," Chesney said, recalling sunsets, boat trips and songs written together over the years. "I knew exactly how I wanted this album to end," he added, "and then I heard 'Shot Glass.'"
Chesney shared an emotional tribute to James after his death last year, calling their bond "a brotherhood, a kinship."
Silver Sands Marina, due September 25 and now tracked on the release calendar, follows Chesney's recent duet with Megan Moroney, "It Just Got Weird," and arrives as he sits at number one on the MusicRow radio chart heading into the new record's release.
The facts
- Silver Sands Marina is Chesney's 21st studio album, due September 25, 2026
- Closing track "Shot Glass" was co-written by the late Brett James
- James died in a plane crash on September 18, 2025, along with his wife and step-daughter
- James also wrote "When the Sun Goes Down" for Chesney and "I Hold On" for Bentley
- James helped launch Carrie Underwood's career, including "Jesus Take the Wheel"
- The crash happened near an elementary school in Franklin, North Carolina
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