Country rapper Colt Ford performs at Joyland in Bradenton

Colt Ford’s really excited about his new album. Really excited. In fact, when you ask him about his upcoming concert in Bradenton, he talks instead about the new album, even though it won’t come out for another three or four months.

“I’m about 85 percent done with the new record,” Ford said in a phone interview. “It’s by far the best thing I’ve ever done. I really pushed myself as a singer. People who have heard it can’t believe it’s me. I can’t even believe it’s me, to be honest with you. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done.”

Ford, the country rapper who’s known for such hits as “Drivin’ Around Song” and “Country Thang” will be at Joyland on Saturday.

Fans at Joyland won’t be hearing anything from the new album, though. At this point in his career, Ford has recorded enough music to pack a concert with songs audiences are yearning to hear. There’s not much room for new stuff.

“This is my sixth studio album,” he said. “I’ve gotten this far without a lot of radio play. So people who come to my shows haven’t just heard singles, they’ve bought the albums, and they know every single song. What do I leave out?”

He carefully constructs a show before he goes out on the road, he said, so that it’s packed with music and energy, with no downtime.

“I do about 25 songs in a 90-minute show,” he said. “Or maybe 22 whole songs and snippets of three others in medleys. Other people might do 17. I don’t do a lot of fooling around or talking.”

The show will be almost all songs from his five albums, including some of his famous collaborations with such major country stars as Jason Aldean and John Michael Montgomery. But there might be a surprise or two in his set.

“Sometimes I’ll call an audible,” he said. “And, I’ll sometimes put a cover song or two in there. When I do that, I try to make it something that will surprise people, so they’ll go, ‘Whoa, I never expected Colt Ford to do Puddle of Mudd.’ ”

Saturday’s show will be Ford’s third appearance in the area since last year. He headlined the 2015 DeSoto Seafood Festival in Palmetto, and he opened for Toby Keith in Tampa in August.

Back to that new album he’s so excited about. It’s a departure from his previous work, he said, because it’s mostly songs by other songwriters. He has always writen or co-written the great majority of his albums.

“There are a couple of songs that I didn’t want to do because they’re such great songs and I didn’t think I could do them well enough,” he said.

The album will be called “Love, Hope and Faith.” They’re words he has tattooed on his arm.

“I always say those are three things you can never lose,” Ford said. “I put all my hope into this album, and I have faith that people will love it.”

Details: 7 p.m. May 28, Joyland, 5520 14th St., Bradenton. $20. 941-756-6060, joylandcountry.com.

Marty Clear, 941-708-7919, @martinclear.

This story was originally published May 25, 2016 at 4:43 PM with the headline "Country rapper Colt Ford performs at Joyland in Bradenton."