This is shaping up to be the best HIXTAPE record yet.
After previously revealing the tracklist for the upcoming 17-song project to social media two days ago, HARDY has now officially announced the first batch of artists set to be featured on “HIXTAPE Vol. 3: Difftape,” a tribute album to the late, great (emphasis on ‘great’), Joe Diffie.
Coming in hot, Difftape will feature re-imagined versions of the iconic 90’s singer’s hits, with collaborations from artists such as Koe Wetzel, Brooks & Dunn, Blake Shelton, Randall King, Chris Young, Larry Fleet, Kameron Marlowe, Sammy Kershaw and more.
Back in November of last year, HARDY performed Diffie’s “Pickup Man” and “John Deere Green“ alongside Post Malone and Morgan Wallen at the 2023 CMA Awards. Ahead of the award show, HARDY admitted there would be a big announcement surrounding their performance that would “make sense” after the trio took the stage together:
“There is a plan, and I can’t talk about it yet, but it will all make sense after the awards. I can’t get too much into why we’re doing it but it’ll all make sense in that moment because we have a big announcement coming.”
As soon as the group exited the stage, both tracks became available on all streaming platforms, with the announcement that the third installment of HARDY’s Hixtape would be a tribute record to the “Third Rock from the Sun” singer.
In a recent Instagram post, HARDY admitted that he wanted to do something “special” to honor Diffie:
“Difftape is all Joe Diffie songs and it’s just a huge nod, a tip of the hat if you will, to the icon that is Joe Diffie. Rest in peace, we all miss you and we love you and we just wanted to do something special and different and cool.
This is the biggest ‘Hixtape’ ever, thirty of our best country friends and singers and you’re not gonna believe all the people that are on this. It’s gonna be amazing.”
While there are still more names to be announced soon, that’s already one helluva batch of country singers to have on one album, if ya ask me.
Difftape is set to drop everywhere this Friday, March 29th. Check out the full tracklist, as well as HARDY and Morgan Wallen’s version of “John Deere Green” here: