With a new song out and a new album due at the end of September, Blake Shelton is ready to make his first big musical statement since the "Boys Round Here"—infused Based On A True Story... last spring.
Of course, when it comes to Shelton, he's always ready to make any sort of statement.
Friday, when talking about the new song "Neon Light" with Rolling Stone, he added another devil-may-care phrase to his burgeoning collection of headline-friendly soundbites.
"The song, the melody, the chorus is so George Jones or George Strait. It really is," he said. "Of course, I'm always going to have the haters and critics out there that say it's not. But then, kiss my ass! I know more about those records than a lot of people.
"We do include elements in our music today that sonically make them different. But the heart of country music is still alive, and still there."
Unlike fellow superstar Taylor Swift, Shelton doesn't see himself diving headfirst into pop music anytime soon.
"I've never had goals or aspirations of crossing over into rock, or pop, or any of those things," he says. "It's fun to collaborate sometimes, because somebody may be a friend...but to make it a goal to cross over? There would be nothing about that that came from my heart. It would have to be just something I did that was played on country radio, and somehow bled over into another genre."
Our own Carolyn Menyes reviewed "Neon Light" last week:
With vocals that slide even more than the guitars, Shelton sings about getting looking for a little something quick after getting his heart broken. And what's better to heal a break up than a dive bar, booze and a new woman or two?
"I'll take a shot of 'I don't care what you're doing now' / Chase that one with a cold 'Screw you' / When that's done I just might wash it down with a big old pitcher of someone new / That blonde, blonde, blonde / At the bar, bar, bar / See if she wants to try and unbreak my heart," he sings in the second verse.
