Blake Shelton Reveals Details About New Album, For Recreational Use Only
Fans have waited four years for a new Blake Shelton album, and now they’re finally getting one!
In September, Shelton announced he signed with a new record label, BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville. The move came shortly after he parted ways from Warner Music Nashville, his label of over twenty years.
Then, in November, Shelton released his latest single, “Texas.” The George Strait-inspired track helped him break a personal record, earning the most first-week radio adds of his entire career.
After releasing “Texas,” fans were hopeful a new album would follow. Shelton confirmed he had something in the works during an interview in December.
Then, on March 11, Shelton shared a cryptic post containing nothing but a plain orange square. His fans went wild trying to figure out what it meant, assuming it had to be a teaser for a big announcement.
A second puzzling post included the letters FRUO on the same orange square. A third and final post displayed the words “For Recreational Use Only,” leaving fans to wonder if this was the name of Shelton’s next album.
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Finally, early on Friday (March 14), Shelton revealed all the details about his new album. As fans suspected, it’s titled For Recreational Use Only.
The project is Shelton’s first new studio album in four years, with his last release being 2021’s Body Language.
When Is Blake’s For Recreational Use Only Being Released?
Shelton shared the news about For Recreational Use Only by posting the album’s cover art. The photo shows him sitting in a dimly lit bar, a glass of whiskey in front of him on a barrel-style table. You can see a jukebox and Western artwork in the background.
The entire photo has an orange tint, and the font is in the same orange color Shelton used on his teaser posts.
Shelton also revealed his new album’s release date in the photo’s caption, writing:
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a new album out so I’m thrilled to share that “For Recreational Use Only” will be out May 9th!!!!”
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According to a press release, For Recreational Use Only will feature collaborations with Craig Morgan, John Anderson, and Shelton’s wife, Gwen Stefani.
To sweeten the deal, Shelton already released one of the album’s tracks, “Let Him In Anyway.” You can listen to that song below.
A press release describes “Let Him In Anyway” as a song about a man who is “hoping for divine forgiveness for a lost friend who was just shy of redemption.” HARDY co-wrote the track.
“”Let Him in Anyway’ is one of the most powerful songs I’ve ever had the chance to record,” Shelton said. “Hardy is a co-writer and a friend, and I’ve never heard a song like this before. When I first listened to it, I knew it was something special. It’s an honor to bring it to life, and I’m incredibly proud of the record we made.”
Head here if you’d like to pre-save or pre-order For Recreational Use Only before its release!