Kenny Chesney is one of the most idolized live performers in Country music and according to him, an ego is partially to thank.

“I’ve got ego up on stage,” he told Audacy’s Rob + Holly during his recent appearance on the Friday Night Takeover. “I think you have a to have a little bit to be great up there [with] the way we do things.”

Not afraid to admit he lets his ego rule the live shows, Chesney admits the stage is where it stays. “I work really hard at leaving that person up there. I don’t take that person with me backstage in my every day life,” he said.

Ask anyone who’s interacted with Chesney and they’ll assure you an ego is far from his off-stage life as he remains one of the most beloved acts for new artists to tour with and regularly seeks to connect with fans by making authentic music. “It makes me feel great,” Kenny said in response to other artists calling him a mentor and wanting to model their own tours after his. “It’s always much better if everybody really loves it and there’s a lot of love goin’ around.”

As far as connecting with fans, the 56-year-old says his fans know immediately if something is disingenuous. “When you’ve been doing this for a minute, the trick is to make a record that pushes your audience, but doesn’t alienate them to a point where it’s disingenuous.” he explained. “One thing I learned about being up there on stage and being in this intimate place with them [fans] over the years is… they know pretty quickly if it’s disingenuous from me. We have to keep that in mind, but we also have to push the envelope a bit.”

That’s exactly what Chesney feels he did with his new album, Born, available now. Hear more about what he’s looking forward to most with his stadium tour this summer by checking out his entire conversation with Audacy’s Rob + Holly above.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Rob + Holly