After topping the charts with lead single, “Get Along,” from his 17th studio album, Songs for the Saints, Kenny Chesney is ready to ship “Better Boat” to country radio.
“Of all the songs on Songs for the Saints, ‘Better Boat’ really captures the emotion of that moment—and the months following Hurricanes Irma and Maria,” Kenny says. “There’s an acceptance it takes to face those challenges and all that uncertainty, something I know I’ve never seen in my lifetime . . . There’s a lyric that goes, ‘I ride the waves I can’t control,’ and that’s exactly how this was, and in some ways, still is.”
Penned by Travis Meadows and Liz Rose, the tune features vocals from Mindy Smith, who has released a handful of albums over the last 15 years on the rock, pop and indie charts.
“Mindy’s voice is so much a part of my life on the islands,” says Kenny. “I remember [Mindy’s song] ‘Come to Jesus’ so many nights, and so many mornings. Her voice would drift in through the windows, across the water, and it would just hold you. She’s like an angel, or a spirit who makes everything feel like it will be alright—and I thought that’s everything this song says beyond the actual words.”
Listen to “Better Boat” below.
