Blake Shelton is looking back on a big “what if” moment in his career. The country star admitted he once recorded Toby Keith’s “I Wanna Talk About Me” but ended up passing on it after a focus group reaction left him thinking the track was, in his words, “horrifying.” Of course, Keith later turned the song into a chart-topping hit.
Blake Shelton Recalls Passing on a Future Hit
During a recent appearance on “The Bobby Bones Show,” Shelton explained that he originally cut Keith’s mega-hit, only to let it go when his label reacted poorly.
“It was so terrible that they said ‘not only do we not want this to be a single, we don’t even think you should put it on your album. It’s that horrifying of a song,’” Shelton admitted.
His then-producer Bobby Braddock encouraged him to experiment with more playful material, which led to the track being recorded. But when the feedback was negative, Shelton backed out. “And then, of course, Toby recorded it and I think had a two-month number one record on it,” he added with a laugh.
The Former ‘Voice’ Coach Pays Tribute to Toby Keith
Although Shelton may have missed out on a career-defining hit, his connection to Keith was about much more than music. After Keith’s death in February 2024, Shelton delivered a heartfelt tribute during the American Country Awards.
“In the end, the mark that Toby left was much more than just that: Toby was a loving husband to his beautiful wife Tricia [Lucus],” Shelton said. “He was a proud father to their three kids and we’re so honored and moved to have Tricia and the kids all here with us tonight.”
He added, “Toby was a great friend to me and he was a real straight shooter who was larger than life and he always would shoot you straight, right till the very end of his very brave ride, that ended way too soon.”
Blake Shelton Returns to Reality TV With ‘The Road’
The former “Voice” coach is also preparing for his return to reality TV. Shelton has teamed up with “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan to executive produce “The Road,” a competition series centered around live tour performances.
According to Wayne and Tay, the series will feature special appearances from Dustin Lynch, Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild, Jordan Davis, and Brothers Osborne. Contestants on the show will open for Keith Urban as part of the tour, while Gretchen Wilson steps in as tour manager.
Wilson confirmed in a teaser that the winner will walk away with a recording contract and “a quarter of a million dollars.”
