Kenny Chesney thought he had finished his new album, then he heard a song that changed everything.

The final track on the album is "Shot Glass," a song co-written by Kenny's old friend Brett James, who died in a plane crash with his wife and step-daughter last September.

"At the end of the song, it says, 'Tell me, how did all that fit into a shot glass?'" he relates. "Now, to sing that song, you have to have lived a little bit. You have to have a little bit of perspective. Then I think about my friend Brett, and his life, and how much fun we had together and all the journeys we went on. All the sunsets and boat trips and songs written during that period," Chesney remembers. "How did all that fit into a shot glass?"

Kenny knew when he heard the song that it needed to be the final track on his new project. Silver Sands Marina is Kenny's 21st studio album and it’s due for release on September 25. The project has 11 tracks and includes collaborations with Megan Moroney, Colbie Caillat and Lily Meola.