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Rascal Flatts reimagined several of their career-spanning hits as collaborations with other artists on an album that released on Friday (June 6). The iconic country trio’s Life Is A Highway: Refueled Duets arrives 25 years since their monumental debut.
The 10-track project includes one new track, a pop-infused collaboration with the Jonas Brothers. Nick Jonas wrote the “nostalgic yet fresh” anthem, “I Dare You,” with Dan + Shay’s Shay Mooney, Dewain Whitmore Jr. and Tommy English. other songs appearing on the track list include “Mayberry,” “Summer Nights,” “What Hurts The Most,” and other unforgettable hit singles Rascal Flatts released throughout their career. Rascal Flatts said on Friday that “we’ve been singing these songs for a long time, but hearing a new spin on them with some amazing voices has given them a whole new life!”
1. “I Dare You” (with Jonas Brothers)
2. “Fast Cars And Freedom” (with Jason Aldean)
3. “My Wish” (with Carly Pearce)
4. “Mayberry” (with Blake Shelton)
5. “Stand” (with Brandon Lake)
6. “Summer Nights” (with Ashley Cooke)
7. “What Hurts The Most” (with Backstreet Boys)
8. “Yours If You Want It” (with Jordan Davis)
9. “Life Is A Highway” (with Lzzy Hale)
10. “I’m Movin’ On” (with Kelly Clarkson)
“It was such an honor to create this project with such incredibly talented artists, it’s a pretty indescribable feeling having your colleagues and friends do your songs in such unique ways and knock your socks off with the results,” frontman Gary LeVox, who performs in the group with Jay DeMarcus, and Joe Don Rooney, said in a statement when they announced Life Is A Highway: Refueled Duets earlier this year. “This album is just another attempt for us to thank our fans for the blessings they’ve given us on this crazy journey the past 25 years, thanks for riding along with us!”
Some of the artists featured on the album shared their emotional reactions as Refueled Duets related on Friday. Ashley Cooke, who joined Rascal Flatts on “Summer Nights,” said the band “was such an inspiration to me growing up and getting to sing summer nights with them is such a full-circle moment.”
“There’s certain artists and songs that made me want to move to Nashville to chase this dream. Rascal Flatts and ‘My Wish’ are two of those,” Carly Pearce said. “They took me out on the road with them for one of my first tours and have become dear friends of mine. Getting to duet on “My Wish” for the Life Is A Highway: Refueled album was a full-circle moment for me.”
Pearce is scheduled to take the stage with Rascal Flatts on Saturday night (June 7) at Nissan Stadium in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. The venue serves as the main stage for CMA Fest, which kicked off on Thursday (June 5) and runs through Sunday (June 8) in Music City. Other artists taking the main stage include Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Luke Bryan, Jordan Davis, Riley Green, Cody Johnson, Ella Langley, Ashley McBryde, Parker McCollum, Megan Moroney, Rascal Flatts, The Red Clay Strays, Darius Rucker, Shaboozey, Blake Shelton, Zach Top, Keith Urban and Bailey Zimmerman. Ashley McBryde and Cody Johnson will team up to host the three-hour televised summer concert special later this month. Viewers can watch CMA Fest on Thursday, June 26 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on ABC. It will be available to stream the next day on Hulu.
Find Life Is A Highway: Refueled Duets on iHeartRadio here, and listen to a few of the new collaborations below.