On Friday, Chase Rice takes what he agrees is a “victory lap,” as he completes The Album cycle that was nearly a year-and-a-half in the making.
Part I of the record came out in January 2020, featuring his hit, “Lonely If You Are.” Then, the whole world changed with the COVID-19 pandemic. Faced with trying to keep his band, his crew and himself afloat without being able to tour, Chase still managed to put out Part II in May of last year.
Then in November, he released his current hit, “Drinkin’ Beer Talkin’ God Amen,” his reunion with his former roommates and “Cruise” co-writers Florida Georgia Line.
“It solidifies it as The Album,” Chase says of today’s new music. “‘If I Didn’t Have You,’ ‘Bedroom,’ and ‘The Nights’ are the three brand-new ones…”
“They all really didn’t have a place,” he explains. “So this is the perfect place to bring ’em in… and put it to bed. Let it be what it was: It was an album that got derailed through COVID and still came out the other side looking good.”
“It’s got hits on it,” he adds. “It’s got cult, underground hits on it. It’s everything that I didn’t imagine, but I’m proud of.”
From here, the former Survivor finalist is already looking ahead.
“It was a huge step forward in the direction of where I’m going with my next album, which will be a full album at one time,” he tells ABC Audio. “So my thing is I want my music to continue to get better and better and better. And this is a huge segue into my next record.”
“And it puts a stamp on my career that it was a tough year, but we made it,” he declares.
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
