New Chris Young CD In Stores Today… No Rap

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about crossover artists and country music. In my humble opinion, it's one thing to "crossover" to another musical genre, but it's another thing to actually "mix" genres. For instance, Jason Aldean has a rap section in his song "Dirt Road Anthem". Colt Ford is another "country" artist that includes rap in his performance and recordings. Whether you care for it or not, these artists (and many more like them) are taking bold steps to incorporate other musical styles with their country roots.

CMT Daily Roundup caught up with Chris Young on the road. His new album Neon hits stores today. Chris wanted to try something new and enjoyed challenging himself vocally on the project. Though he’s mixing up styles and trying new techniques, the country star assures fans the music doesn’t stray too far from his traditional sound. For him, it’s about staying true to himself and his fans. Young stated, “Now I think you kind of need a balance of both. You don’t want to completely go left field after having your first successful album. [Laughs] Maybe if you’ve had a couple, you can go just left field, but there’s some stuff that’s gonna be similar but I also think everything’s a little bit different in the very least. No, no, no gangster rap yet on this record.” The album’s lead-off single, “Tomorrow,” has climbed into the top five on the country charts. Chris is on the road this summer with Jason Aldean’s My Kinda Party Tour. 

Gangster rap, huh? I wonder who Chris was talking about?