STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART

Kenny Chesney's grit and authenticity have earned him a string of hits and a legion of fans-his No Shoes Nation. Yet despite his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the singer-songwriter isn't slowing down

- - BY MANDY TAHERI

KENNY CHESNEY WALKS AROUND NEWS-week’s office on the 72nd floor of One World Trade Center in New York City, peering out the floor-to-ceiling windows in search of his skyline barometers—the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge and one of his favorite places to perform, MetLife Stadium.

Both a sports stadium and concert venue, MetLife blends the two passions that built the music giant who was once a small-town football dreamer. Eight times MetLife has played host to a sea of fans—No Shoes Nation devotees—who came to soak in Chesney’s unique blend of country, rock and island music, paired with his positive, easy energy. His most recent show there in 2024 drew his largest crowd at the venue, with more than 61,000 in attendance.

“It’s one of the most amazing nights of the summer,” Chesney told Newsweek’s editor-in-chief Jennifer H. Cunningham about his MetLife performances. “It reminds me of being in a Southern Baptist church with my grandmother. And when it's really good and everybody's feeling the Holy Spirit, you don’t wanna be anywhere else. It’s amazing. It’s the same way with the show.” Each one, he says, has a different pulse, bringing together new people and energy, creating an irreplaceable thrill.

From MetLife to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, to the Sphere in Las Vegas, millions have turned out across the country for an artist who has repeatedly topped the charts, sold more than 30 million albums, launched a radio channel and been named Billboard's Top Country Artist of the 21st Century. The eight-time Entertainer of the Year—four each by the Academy of Country Music awards and the Country Music Association—has racked up 33 No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. His most-streamed track on Spotify, “American Kids” (2014), has netted nearly half a billion listens.