Shelton celebrates 20 years of country music
When fresh-faced Oklahoma native and Giant-turned-Warner Bros. (now Warner Music Nashville) recording artist Blake Shelton sat down with Country Weekly on May 16, 2001, he told the interviewer, “It sounds goofy, but my goal right now is, I just want a song to break through the Top 10. It’s real important for me to have a Top 10 record at some point in my career. And that’s about as long-term as it gets for me right now. I’m really, really concentrating on this single and this current album.” Little did he know he’d overshoot that goal… in a big way.
With 36 Top 10 singles – 28 of them No. 1 hits – on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and nearly a dozen Gold and Platinum-certified albums to his name, the country music superstar is now celebrating the 20-year anniversary of his self-titled debut (originally released July 31, 2001). Blake Shelton peaked at No. 3 on the Top Country Albums chart and spawned several enduring fan favorites. To commemorate milestone, Shelton has teamed up with Amazon Music to release a special acoustic Amazon Original of his first-ever radio single, “Austin,” available to download and stream.
Shelton told People, “Man – twenty years may have passed, but sometimes I still feel like the kid from Oklahoma I was back then! The kid who came to Nashville just wanting to sing country music. I couldn’t be prouder to celebrate the anniversary of my debut album. ‘Austin’ is the first song we ever released from the album, and it is still a cornerstone of my live shows. I’m excited to share a new version of one of the most important songs of my career with an Amazon Original. I’m not sure how many people actually have an ‘answering machine’ anymore, but the song is still as powerful and special as the first time I ever sang it. I’m grateful for all the fans who continue to connect with it like I do.”
Earlier this year, Shelton released a commemorative 7″ LP single of “Austin,” in honor of its 20th anniversary. The limited edition vinyl was a replica of the CD single that was released prior to his debut album.
Over the past two decades Shelton has accumulated more than 8.5 billion global on-demand streams, 11 million career album US sales and award wins approaching the hundreds. He has also earned widespread recognition as a 8x champion coach for the Emmy Award-winning television show The Voice. A long-time Grand Ole Opry member, Shelton has also found success in his Ole Red partnership with Ryman Hospitality and in teaming up with Smithworks Vodka.
The multimedia entertainer is now onto his 12th studio album with Body Language released on May 21st. Produced by Shelton’s longtime collaborator Scott Hendricks, the 12-track record features his No. 1 smash “Happy Anywhere” (with Gwen Stefani) and the uptempo-but controversial “Minimum Wage.”
For those who want to catch live performances of these new tracks, Shelton will return to the road for Friends and Heroes 2021 next month. The tour will welcome very special guest Lindsay Ell, with special appearances by Martina McBride, Tracy Byrd and Trace Adkins. Rescheduled dates from the 2020 run will honor previously purchased tickets, and additional tickets are currently on sale. Friends and Heroes 2021 will abide by all local and venue COVID-19 policies.
