Blake Shelton Talks Retirement From ‘The Voice’ and How Post Malone Inspired Him To Get Back in the Studio

Post Malone’s contagious optimism and spry youthfulness have taken another victim, as Blake Shelton recently opened up about how Malone ignited a spark within him. Ahead of this year’s 58th Annual CMA Awards, Shelton spoke with Audacy’s Katie Neal about Luke Bryan, Lainey Wilson, Peyton Manning, and his new music.

Blake Shelton’s recent single, “Texas,” has been his first piece of new music in two years. That being so, Shelton said, “I was nervous, you know. It’s been a while since I’ve released any new music” and “When I retired from, The Voice, I just kind of like went away… 23 seasons I was on that show, so I was happy to get a break.” Well, for Shelton, the break is seemingly over and he thanks Post Malone for encouraging him to get back into the studio.

Blake Shelton’s Praise for Posty

Shelton and Malone’s relationship notably stems from their collaboration on the F-1 Trillion song, “Pour Me A Drink.” However, the collaboration inspired more than just one song. “I feel like I’d kind of gotten lazy, you know, and I’d kind of taken for granted what I do,” Shelton shared. “But being around Post, it was like, ‘Look at this kid, man, he’s the biggest star in the world.’” and “He couldn’t be more excited about what he does, and what am I doing?” he added.

Thanks to Malone’s vigor and sheer passion, Shelton was able to reflect on the thing he’d seemingly lost touch with. As he told Neal, “I really do credit him for firing me up about it again.” Regarding his reluctance to make new music again, Shelton stated, “It’s actually literally stupid not to do it.”

Shelton hopes “to take it all in this time around” and soak in what this rebirth has to offer. Which for fans includes some nearly finished Shelton music. “I probably have an album’s worth of music that recorded that I have. I don’t think it’s there yet” and “I’m gonna keep recording and looking for songs until they tell me they gotta start printing albums and I need to turn something in.” So, be on the lookout for Shelton’s music, because it’s coming.

Besides his music, Shelton’s relaunch entails quite the question—Who will Post Malone inspire next, and what music will come from it?

Photo by Terry Wyatt/WireImage