Blake Shelton Explains Why He Was Happy to Leave Hollywood Behind

Published: November 19, 2024

Blake Shelton Explains Why He Was Happy to Leave Hollywood Behind

By Movieguide® Contributor

Blake Shelton is not missing being a coach on THE VOICE — and the Hollywood life that came along with it.

“The last couple of years, especially since I’ve retired from THE VOICE, 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,” he told PEOPLE. “It happens, and before you know it, you go, ‘My God, where have the last 10 years gone?’”

Shelton added, “I really, and I mean really indulged in not being on a television show anymore. It’s just been great for me to get back in the mode of, ‘Hey, I’m a country singer first.’ That’s what I left Ada, Oklahoma when I was a teenager to go be. I never want to get that far away from what I feel like I meant to do ever again.”

The country singer left THE VOICE after 23 seasons on the show, citing family as a big reason why he stepped away.

“I think being a stepdad has changed my perspective in that I’m not the first person that I think about anymore,” he explained at the time. “Even to the small little things when you go, ‘I think I’ll do this,’ the very next thought is always, ‘Well, wait a minute. How’s that going work?’ Or, ‘What will they think?’ Or, ‘How will that affect a schedule?’”

Shelton continued, “I think the only way for me to really do that right is to step away from being committed to something like  THE VOICE  that demands a lot of your time. There’s no way around it. If you’re going to do it and do it right, you have to be 150 percent in. And I just feel like those days are behind me for now. I got a more important job.”

“Last Sunday, I told Gwen, ‘I’m having the best day,’” he shared. “We had family over, cooked a good meal. My team won. It was like, ‘I want to have this day every day for the rest of my life’ — just laid-back family and watching football.”

Shelton is also working on new music. He just released a new single, “Texas.”

“The thing that struck me about ‘Texas’ immediately was how different it sounded for me, and I’m always looking to push myself,” Shelton said in a statement given to Billboard. “I think there’s something really special about this record and it feels important to me.”

He continued, “This is the perfect opportunity to come back with something so different, and it easily felt like it should be the first single. It’s connected with what I’ve done but moves forward at the same time, and it’s the perfect start to the next chapter of my career.”

Shelton also has plans to work on another singing competition show, THE ROAD.