Blake Shelton Reveals Who Helped Him Find His Groove Again After ‘The Voice’

After 23 seasons of coaching "The Voice," country superstar Blake Shelton was relieved to have quiet time away from the spotlight when he left the show in May 2023.

"I did 'The Voice' for 12 years, it took over my life," he told Country Countdown USA in early November. "The whole idea was to get some life in before it's too late."

Shelton, 48, prioritized slowing down and spending time with his wife, pop superstar and current "Voice" coach Gwen Stefani, and his three stepsons, whom Stefani shares with her ex-husband, Gavin Rossdale. But creatively, Shelton was at a loss for his next steps.

"After I retired from 'The Voice,' I didn't really know what — not only what I was gonna do, but what I even wanted to do next," he told Entertainment Tonight while shooting the video for his new single, "Texas," out on November 15, 2024.

"The last couple of years, especially since I've retired from 'The Voice,'" Shelton told People, "I've just kind of been trying to be very mindful of the next thing that I do, be thoughtful about it and be sure that I'm not just doing things because I'm on the hamster wheel anymore."

Though he might've been happy to keep that slower pace and stay out of the limelight, Shelton has told multiple outlets that it was an unlikely new friend — Post Malone — who inspired him to reassess his music career and start a "new chapter," including the release of his new tune.

Blake Shelton Says This Might Be His 'Last Chance' to Make His Mark in Music

In the summer of 2024, when Post Malone asked Shelton to team up with him on his country-inspired album for the single "Pour Me a Drink," the song became an instant hit and their new friendship became the catalyst for what Shelton told People are "big, big changes" in his life.

For one thing, after 25 years with the same record label, Shelton surprised many in country music by signing with BMG in September, signaling a new era in his career. In press materials promoting his new single, he said that he was struck by "how different (the song 'Texas') sounded for me, and I'm always looking to push myself. I think there's something really special about this record, and it feels important to me."

Shelton will also take another stab at being part of a televised singing competition in 2025. On November 11, it was revealed that he's teamed up with "Yellowstone" creator Taylor Sheridan to launch "The Road" on CBS, aimed at finding the next big country star. He'll also have his first Las Vegas residency with a series of shows in February, per NBC.

All of this activity, Shelton told People, was inspired by his collaboration with Post Malone.

"I really credit Post Malone for this new energy that I have because I was kind of just complacent and not in any hurry," he told the outlet. "Then that kid came along and asked me to sing on his song with him. It took off and was a big hit this summer, and it reminded me like, 'Hey, get off your ass! This may be your last chance to really take a big swing at this thing.' So here I am."

Blake Shelton Says Post Malone Doesn't Want His Compliments

Shelton first met Malone in 2018, when the rapper and singer was skyrocketing to stardom with his album "Beerbongs and Bentleys." But the two didn't reconnect until early 2024 and decided to collaborate, Shelton told Country Countdown USA.

"I hosted a tribute show to Elvis on CBS," he recalled. "Post was a new artist at the time. I was just blown away by him. I didn't see him again until the Super Bowl this year, and he told me he was working on a country album. He reached out and asked me to sing on his album, and it ended up being a big hit for both of us."

No matter how many times he credits that fateful reconnection with inspiring his new lease on life, Shelton told People that Malone avoids letting his compliments sink in.

"I don't know that he believes me, he said, and then joked, "Also, I don't know if you've ever talked to Post Malone, but it's hard to get him to focus sometimes. I did send it to him in a text one time, and he wrote back, 'Dude, stop it.' He said something super nice back to me, which I don't want to ruin his image by saying that he's a nice guy."

Though he's excited about his new single, Shelton has no immediate plans for a full album — though he told People that he knows fans are itching for one and that he looks forward to creating a fresher but familiar sound for his new music.

He said, "It's always in the back of my mind: What's something I haven't done that's not going to make people go, 'What does he think he's doing?'"