Mitchell Tenpenny will drop a hefty project next month with the release of his new album, This Is the Heavy. Not only does his sophomore collection — due out Sept. 16 — feature 20 songs, but each song will be heavier than the music we've gotten from him in the past.

"Production-wise, we made the drums a little heavier, we made the whole mix just a little heavier and that's why I called it This Is the Heavy," Tenpenny tells Taste of Country Nights host Evan Paul. "The production, the lyrics ... I'm telling you serious things and we're trying to beef it up a little bit."

"So it's a little bit more rock, sticking with what I do, the country lyrics that I love to write," he adds.

It's a bit of a trip down memory lane, too, for the "Alcohol You Later" singer, as the inspiration came from his early days in music playing in rock 'n' roll bands. The idea has been on Tenpenny's mind for quite some time, and he promises it will be an enjoyable experience for his fans.

"It's a lot of fun," he says. "It's something I've been wanting to do for a long long time and it's my second record. It's got a little bit of everything for everyone on it."

Tenpenny has become known for his passion-driven breakup songs, but this project will be a little bit of everything.

"It ranges lyrically all over the place," he reveals. "From the classic breakup songs to love songs to life songs to some just weird songs that you're just gonna have to listen to it and check out the record on."

There will be plenty of ear candy for Tenpenny's fans, with nearly two dozen new tracks. It's not traditional to put 20 songs on a single album, but the project has been three years in the making, with much of that time spent coming in the midst of a pandemic.

"It felt right to me. it's been almost three years since my first record, and we've written a lot of songs since then and lived a lot of life," he explains. "I tried to stay as current and productive as you could during that time and I was just like, 'Man, 11 songs just ain't gonna justify the second record for me.'"

The "Truth About You" singer is currently opening for Luke Bryan on his Raised Up Right Tour, which will wrap up on Oct. 28. Riley Green is also an opener on the trek. Look for tickets here.

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