Hot off his 30th career No. 1 with the twangy, swagger-packed “Texas,” Blake Shelton drops his new album For Recreational Use Only — a 12-track dose of country grit, charm, and heart available now via BBR Music Group/Wheelhouse Records. Listen Below.
“I can’t believe it’s been four years since we released an album, and I’m excited to get the whole record out there,” said Shelton. “I’ve always been someone who wants to collect great songs but sometimes the hardest thing to do is to find something that hasn’t been said or written before or a melody that we haven't heard. I’m always on the search for that. I look back over the years, and I’m just proud because some of those songs don’t sound like anything else. And I think we did it again with this album.”
To celebrate the release, Shelton performed “Texas” on the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards and he will take over national television next week. On Tuesday, May 13, he’ll perform live from the Today Show Summer Concert Series stage at Rockefeller Plaza before stopping by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon later that night. He’ll close out the week on Friday, May 16, with a reunion on The Kelly Clarkson Show, joining his former Voice rival and longtime friend.
One of the most personal cuts on the record is “The Keys,” a melodic slow-burn co-written by HARDY that Shelton says hit him straight in the gut. “You know, I’m not the kind of guy who hangs on to a lot of stuff, but I’ve got this weird habit—I don’t throw away old keys,” Shelton explains. “Apartment keys, truck keys, padlock keys—I keep them all. So this song really got to me. The story, the melody, the way it wraps up at the end... I couldn’t shake it.”
HARDY, who also co-wrote the already released fan-favorite “Let Him In Anyway,” sent Shelton the demo with him specifically in mind. “This one’s more in my lane than his,” Shelton says. “It’s got the feel of those mellow, romantic tracks I’ve done through the years—like ‘Drink On It.’ Songs like this are why I still love making records.”
For Recreational Use Only marks Shelton’s first studio album in four years and his debut on BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville. With guests including Gwen Stefani, John Anderson, and Craig Morgan, the project is a rowdy, reflective ride through heartbreak, backroads, and the kind of Southern wisdom you only learn the hard way. It's Shelton at his most grounded—and most freewheeling.
About Blake Shelton:
With 30 No. 1 singles, 52 million singles and 13 million albums sold and nearly 11 billion global streams, Blake Shelton has received numerous awards, including six ACMs, three AMAs, ten CMAs, 11 CMTs and six People’s Choice, among many others. His debut BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville album, For Recreational Use Only, drops May 9. The 12-track album, his first in nearly four years, features his No. 1 Wheelhouse Records single “Texas,” the poignant “Let Him In Anyway,” the red-dirt “Stay Country or Die Tryin’” and includes appearances by Gwen Stefani, John Anderson and Craig Morgan.
Shelton kickstarted the year with his Live In Las Vegas Residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. He just wrapped his Friends & Heroes Tour, which featured Craig Morgan, Deana Carter, Trace Adkins and Emily Ann Roberts, and will play a variety of festivals this summer The Grand Ole Opry member also remains focused on his Ole Red partnership with Ryman Hospitality, with locations currently in Tishomingo, Nashville, Gatlinburg, Orlando, and most recently, Las Vegas, with a stand-alone venue complete with a roof-top stage and bar on the Las Vegas strip.
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