According to a recent source, Kenny Chesney just might be ready to squeeze out of his current record deal with Sony subsidiary BNA Records as he begins work on new music. Though his manager is denying the legitimacy of this claim, a source told the New York Post's Page Six column that Chesney is shopping around for a $30 million, 5-record deal to labels including Warner, Universal and EMI.

“He’s very displeased with how Sony has handled him,” the source told Page Six. “He wants to be more mainstream.” However, Chesney's manager denied this claim, countering, "This is very inaccurate. We have no plans to be anything but a country-music artist . . . Also, we have enjoyed a long-term, successful relationship with Sony . . . The numbers you speak about and Warner Bros., etc. are purely rumors that are far from the truth.”

Though no one can quite say who's leaking the truth and who's trying to suppress it, Chesney has been working on his new music in Ocean Way St. Barths at the Eden Rock resort in the Caribbean. Working with producer/songwriter Buddy Cannon (Reba McEntire, George Strait, George Jones), Chesney is cutting his first record since hit 2010 'Hemingway's Whiskey.'

Chesney's road manager, Malchijah Bailey, told Broadcast Newsroom that the time in the studio is coming along nicely. "Anytime you can work all day, walk out of the studio and be greeted by an amazing beach, makes you feel like it's not work," Bailey said. "The vibe was awesome, and kept us all in good musical spirits."

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