Blake Shelton is opening up about his new single, “Stay Country or Die Tryin’.” The song, from his latest For Recreational Use Only album, was written by Drew Parker, Graham Barham, Sam Ellis, and Beau Bailey.
“I’ve got this new album out, and it’s our second single off of the album,” Shelton says on The Bobby Bones Show. “I’ve got this thing where, I can’t get past some of those old Alabama records, and I’m quite a bit of a copycat sometimes when I’m making my records. ‘Cause I always want to end up putting something on my records that’s like something my heroes did.
“And for me, that always goes back to Travis Tritt or Alabama or Earl Thomas Conley or Mark Collie, some of these people,” he continues. “I come up with these records that I think, ‘Oh, they would have done that.’ And ‘Stay Country or Die Tryin” is a little bit of that, especially the intro of the song. I always think, I imagine that I was in Alabama when that song comes on.”
Blake Shelton Redefines Success After So Many Hits
Shelton is having to redefine success, after having so many hits. The 49-year-old just celebrated his 30th No. 1 single, with “Texas,” his debut single from For Recreational Use Only.
“As much as I love to make music, and to have a job like that, I also have a side of me that also wants to have a life,” Shelton says on Q with Tom Power. “And at some point, you stop. And I don’t mean this to sound in any way – I don’t even know how this would sound – but at some point, you go, man, do I really need to make some more money? Do I really need to be on TV, and in trash magazines?
“What’s more important to me at this point in my life?” he reflects. “And I finally decided it’s being right here where I’m sitting right now … That’s the most important thing, is to be here with my wife and walk out there and water a tomato plant, and just kind of have some calm. Because there’s about 25 years’ worth of noise and stuff I can’t remember, which happens in this business, because it happens so quickly. You’re just like, what the hell happened?”
Blake Shelton Announces Return To Las Vegas
Shelton recently announced he is returning to Las Vegas, for his Live in Vegas residency. Shelton will perform eight shows, from January 15 – 31, 2026.
“We had so much fun earlier this year, I figured—why not do it again,” Shelton says. “This time we’re gonna do it more country, with more cocktails, and probably make a few more questionable decisions. Let’s go, Vegas.”
Find “Stay Country or Die Tryin’,” and all of Shelton’s music and upcoming shows, at BlakeShelton.com.