Kenny Chesney: Possibly the Hottest Male Crossover Artist in Country Music Today

Kenney Chesney

For any country artist, achieving crossover success could be quite a tricky process—you could gain a wider fan base BUT end up losing original ones by experimenting and straying far from their country roots. This was a lesson Faith Hill learned the hard way when she released two albums, “Faith” and “Breathe,” that the critics deemed were not “country” enough for their tastes. Although both albums achieved success in the mainstream market, many fans felt she betrayed her true sound.

Nevertheless, achieving crossover status is an achievement that could cement an artist’s “superstar status.” In addition, the ability to impress fans from both sides of the river guarantees commercial appeal and continued success. Now let’s take a look at Kenny Chesney, touted as the hottest male crossover artist in country music today.

Certainly, no country crossover list will be complete without the presence of this widely famous neo-country artist. This Knoxville, Tennessee native has truly come a long way since his 1994 release, the moderately successful, “In My Wildest Dreams.” He achieved success for his 1997 offering, “I Will Stand” which produced two hit singles, “She’s Got it All” and “That’s Why I’m Here,” which were No.1 and No.2 singles upon their release. However, it was only with the 2002 album “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems” that he achieved crossover success, further cementing his status among the current breed of country music’s fast rising superstars.

By mixing country with a hint of the island sound, Chesney got the No.1 spots on both the Country and Billboard charts in its year of release. Today, Chesney has various endorsement deals and continues to rack up album sales through his Poets and Pirates tour.

When asked about his sound, Chesney stated, “It’s pretty universal. When I sing and talk it’s a product of where I grew up but the records are a product of everything I loved growing up. And it was everything. So that’s kind of why our shows are the way they are. It lends itself to a pretty universal audience. I believe I have a core country audience but you can’t play a stadium without having a lot of crossover appeal.”

Chesney, the reigning Country Music Awards Entertainer of the Year, clearly has no plans of slowing down. When asked as to what he would be doing when he’s older, he says, “I hope I’m still writing songs.” He goes on to say that, “I hope that I’m happy, not that I’m not. I hope I’m in a place in my life where there’s clarity and a lot of friends and I’m still making music people want to hear. I hope that I can look at myself in the mirror and be proud.”

The upcoming September dates for his ongoing tour will bring him to Biloxi, MS (Mississippi Coast Coliseum September 10), Tallahassee, FL  (Leon County Civic Center, September 11), Charleston, SC (North Charleston Coliseum, September 12), and  Indianapolis, IN (Lucas Oil Field, September 19).

For more on Chesney, you can visit his website at: www.kennychesney.com.