HARDY - HIXTAPE Vol. 3: DIFFTAPE New Album 2023 Release Date and Tracklist

After performing a show-stopping medley of Joe Diffie anthems at the 2023 CMA Awards, HARDY, Morgan Wallen and Post Malone have released the first two songs from HIXTAPE Vol. 3: DIFFTAPE.

The album will combine the late great Joe Diffie's 2006 re-recordings of his greatest hits with a slew of big-name acts in modern country, ‘Pick-Up Man’ featuring Post Malone and ‘John Deere Green’ featuring Morgan Wallen and HARDY having now been released.

Despite exploring rock-inspired territory on his 2023 album, as HARDY proclaimed on one of his earliest hits, you won't find anybody ‘REDNECKER’ than him, and regardless of his new, rockier sound, it's safe to say he'll never forget his down-home roots.

Epitomising this is his beloved HIXTAPE series of records, which are always packed to the brim with small town anthems and blockbuster guest appearances. Since he dropped the second instalment in late 2021, fans have been clamouring for Vol. 3 to be made available.

In a 2023 interview with Holler, HARDY revealed that work has already begun on HIXTAPE Vol. 3, and he also promised that the new project would include a plethora of surprises for fans. It's safe to say we didn't see a catalogue of reimagined Joe Diffie classics coming - but by the same token, we sure aren't complaining!

He shared that “we have the ball rolling on HIXTAPE Vol. 3”, before going on to tease that the record will be “completely different, but in the best way. Everybody’s going to be like, ‘No way, really?‘”

newsBREAKING • HARDY Reveals 'Hixtape Vol. 3' Is In The Works

The country-rock maverick also confirmed to Holler that the next instalment of the popular series would be “something completely different”.

Ahead of the HIXTAPE Vol. 3: DIFFTAPE announcement, HARDY shared his excitement at being able to release the unique new project withe blessing of the Diffie Estate, “I'm super excited about DIFFTAPE. I think it's a one-of-a-kind project and we're the first people to do something like this. Especially having the original recordings and the fact that we have his family's blessing to do it, it's all really special”.

The Mississippi maverick went on to stress, “Joe epitomized the '90s country voice – he was so good about hearing and cutting hits, recording amazing songs. On a personal level, I only got to meet Joe once, but he was extremely nice to me, and this was in my first year of being an artist when I was an absolute nobody. He was so, so kind to me and that memory I have of him is truly special to me, too”.

Over the course of the two HIXTAPEs so far, HARDY has brought together a star-studded roster of artists that includes Lainey Wilson, Thomas Rhett, Midland, Ernest Jake Owen, Keith Urban, Marty Stuart, Chase Rice, Brothers Osborne and more.

We'll be keeping our eye out for confirmation of a full tracklist and more details as to who else will be appearing on HIXTAPE Vol. 3, with more singles hopefully arriving in the coming weeks - but it's safe to say DIFFTAPE is off to a very strong start.

For more on HARDY, see below: