After two decades of hits, hairstyles and television appearances, Blake Shelton is back on top of the country music charts with “Texas,” the lead single from his 13th studio album “For Recreational Use Only.”
The country music star, who stepped away from NBC’s “The Voice” after 23 seasons to focus on fishing and farming in Oklahoma, said that returning to the spotlight has been reinvigorating.
“As we sit here right now, it’s been the number one country song in the U.K., which is not University of Kentucky like I thought,” Shelton joked during an interview at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.
The album includes a collaboration with his wife, rock star Gwen Stefani, on the track “Hangin’ On.” Shelton said both were immediately drawn to the song.
“We were both like, ‘I’m in if you’re in,'” Shelton said. “The song just has one of those choruses that just hits you and knocks you down.”
While recording new music, Shelton has also been filming “The Road,” a new CBS singing competition show. The project marks his return to television after leaving “The Voice” to spend time with family.
Social media posts have captured Shelton embracing rural life, singing about “corn in the truck, corn in the field” while farming, and fishing with Stefani. Now, he’s balancing entertainment with family responsibilities, including being a stepfather to Stefani’s sons.
“I never put them on the spot asking what they think about my music because I’m afraid they may hate it,” Shelton said.
He’s now expanding his musical collaborations, teaming up with rapper-turned-country artist Post Malone on the chart-topping “Pour Me a Drink.”
“Anything that happens that’s current and becomes a hit on the radio for one of the old guys that’s left in the business, it’s super exciting for me,” Shelton said. “I just never know when the last album I make is the last album I make.”
