“I Always Loved the Truth in That Song”: Kenny Chesney Reflects on What His Iconic Hit, ‘Young’, Means to Him Now

The majority of country songs put out into the world don't have the staying power to remain on either the radio or fans’ playlists for more than a few weeks. So for a song to still be just as iconic 23 years after it was released, it must be something special.

Which is undoubtedly the case for Kenny Chesney's galvanising, rose-tinted ode to our formative years, ‘Young’. The track, penned by Naoise Sheridan, Steve McEwan, and Craig Wiseman arrived, first started hitting the airwaves back in 2002 as part of Chesney's game-changing opus, No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems.

In honour of ‘Young’ being certified Platinum this summer - along with a dizzying array of other Chesney classics, such as ‘Everything's Gonna Be Alright’ with David Lee Murphy, ‘Knowing You’, ‘Me and You’ and ‘She's Got It All’ - we're looking fondly back at the uplifting anthem, and toasting the joie de vivre that underpins it.

During his interview with Holler around the release of his latest album, BORN, Kenny Chesney offered some insight into what the spirit of ‘Young’ means to him two decades later.

The country legend warmly reflects, “I always viewed ‘Young’ as a celebration of the fire, the innocence and that crazy sense kids have when they're in love with something”.

Chesney expands by reflecting on some of the specific outlets that gave him this electric feeling when he was at high school, “For my friends and I, it was sports; but music, for me, was really important, too. And I always loved the truth in that song, too; the way you stretch the truth to your friends, but the reality of how it was”.

In a way, ‘Young’ captures the unique duality that Kenny Chesney has always laced into his music. There is a faint, underlying sense of sadness as you wistfully look back at all the good times you shared with your friends, family and loved ones during those younger years. However, this is is soon outshone by Chesney's infectiously optimistic, joyful outlook, as he encourages listeners to bring that youthful sense of wonder and excitement to the present, regardless of your age.

It epitomises the ‘There Goes My Life’ crooner's ability to convey and embrace the realities of life, while giving them a newfound sense of lustre and magic you didn't realise was there.

Elsewhere during his conversation with Holler, Chesney muses on the memories that drew him to ‘Young’, “Growing up the way I did in East Tennessee, I'm incredibly grateful for it: the sports, the friends, the family, the community. It was awesome, and I know there are all kinds of people in communities just like mine all over the country. Where they are is exactly where they want to be, and someone in New York and LA might not get it, or think it's the greatest way to live. But I know... the people of No Shoes Nation know... it doesn't have to be fancy, expensive or fast to feed your soul, to be fun or make you feel fulfilled”.

He concludes with a message for his loyal, life-affirming fanbase, “When you learn that, when you stop chasing cars that don't matter and you recognize how awesome your roots are? What's not to be grateful about? When you appreciate something, no matter how small, it becomes that much more important. I've tried to record songs that really hone in on that idea. To sing those kinds of things - whether sad, trying to figure something out or thrilled about what happened - is what being an artist is all about. Authenticity, honesty, digging deeper into the good and bad times? When you're clear about all that, you can find gratitude for every single moment. When you want what you have, that's everything”.

It's this enchanting feeling of gratitude - which is laced into the DNA of every Kenny Chesney song - that has drawn and continues to draw so many to the Beach Country icon's sound. But his music is far more than a mere escape - it's a visceral portrayal of life's peaks and troughs, lit up by a determination to hold fast to the former, in the unwavering conviction that these will ultimately outweigh the latter.

With another Sphere Las Vegas residency on the books for 2026, following a blockbuster debut this summer, and his first book - HEART*LIFE*MUSIC with Holly Gleason - dropping this Fall, we can't wait to see what's next for Kenny Chesney in the form of new music. Given how beautifully variegated, evocative and energising his 2024 album, BORN, was, we think we've got good reason to be excited...

Read Kenny Chesney's full interview with Holler here.

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