Jon Pardi is paying homage to the legends who came before him with his surprise new album, Rancho Fiesta Sessions. 

The hit making country star dropped Rancho Fiesta on a whim on Friday (Aug. 14), selecting a collection of songs by artists he admires.

Pardi joined forces with his touring band for a live, one-night jam session at his Rancho Fiesta barn on his Tennessee property to record the eight tunes from his idols of varying genres, putting an original spin on their classic songs.

He lends his voice to George Strait's signature "Marina Del Rey" and emulates fellow Californian Dwight Yoakam's twangy spin on "Honky Tonk Man" on the release, also picking up the tempo on a cover of Merle Haggard's "The Bottle Let Me Down." Pardi steps outside the country world with a slow burning rendition of Prince's iconic "Nothing Compares 2 U" and his interpretation of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' "The Waiting."

Rancho Fiesta Sessions also includes covers of Strait's "Right or Wrong," "Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die)" by the late Joe Diffie and “Somebody’s Doin’ Me Right” from Keith Whitley.

"We mainly did it to have fun and record, and it sounds like we’re in your backyard, playing for you," Pardi explains in a press release. "This one was for the fans, to let them hear something different; songs you may have heard before but, haven’t heard them like this."

The surprise album follows Pardi's chart-topping 2019 album Heartache Medication that features the No. 1 single of the same name.

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