Latest news with #ForRecreationalUseOnly
USA Today
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Blake Shelton makes debut AMAs performance, gives patriotic Memorial Day nod
Blake Shelton makes debut AMAs performance, gives patriotic Memorial Day nod Show Caption Hide Caption Stevie Nicks, Joni Mitchell and other celebs unite for LA fire victims Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks, Gwen Stefani and a swath of other celebrities united at the FireAid concerts to raise funds for LA fire victims. Blake Shelton played his new song "Stay Country or Die Tryin'" off his recently released "For Recreational Use Only" album at the May 26 American Music Awards. The 48-year-old country star wore a red, white and blue lapel pin over his navy blue striped shirt in his first-ever performance for the awards show, broadcasting live from Las Vegas. An ideal choice for Memorial Day, Shelton sings: "From the red, white and blue flying high at the farm / To the Boone and Crockett stud on the wall in the barn." He's going to stay country or "die tryin.'" Behind his band, the screens depicted a larger-than-life American flag tacked to a fence. At the end of his toe-tapping song, he pointed to his patriotic pin and nodded. American Music Awards winners list: Gacie Abrams, Kendrick Lamar, SZA and Billie Eilish take home trophies Blake Shelton's wife Gwen Stefani also performs at AMAs Shelton did not walk the purple carpet ahead of the broadcast at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, and neither did his wife, Gwen Stefani, who was also in attendance. 'The only way I feel I have a purpose': Gwen Stefani drops first new album in eight years Shelton introduced her ahead of her performance of "Swallow My Tears," "The Sweet Escape" and "Hollaback Girl." A spiral of bananas played across the auditorium displays as she spelled out the fruit. The audience standing in the pit could be seen holding up hand-hearts and clapping over their heads. 'The Road' and 'For Recreational Use Only' Shelton has a show, "The Road," debuting on CBS in the fall. He is one of the co-creators of the competition show on the quest to find the next big country star. His album "For Recreational Use Only" was released May 9, which features 12 tracks, including a duet with Stefani and country singers Craig Morgan and John Anderson. More: Taylor Swift fans failed to manifest 'Reputation' news at American Music Awards Shelton spoke to The Nashville Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network, about the inspiration behind his latest work: "I'm experienced (enough now to) have ideas about my career, plus, in the back of my mind, I always have thoughts."
Winnipeg Free Press
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
New music: Blake Shelton, Blondshell, Ingrid Laubrock, Elation Pauls
Blake Shelton For Recreational Use Only (Wheelhouse) Blake Shelton's 13th studio album opens with a fitting declaration for both his latest project and the current state of his career: Stay Country or Die Tryin'. It would be more accurately phrased like a question. At this stage, Shelton is a longtime veteran of Hollywood on The Voice stage with a pop superstar wife in Gwen Stefani, far removed from his Nashville roots, all while maintaining the position of one of the most high-profile country stars of the current moment. But if country is a lifestyle and an image beyond its musical forms — saying nothing of the opening track's arena-sized rock elements — is he staying true to some ethos? Is Shelton speaking diaristically when he sings, 'Boots ain't never seen easy street,' in the album's opening verse? Perhaps not. In 2025, he performs between worlds, but no matter. He's long dedicated himself to big country radio hits and returns to those roots across For Recreational Use Only. The songs here concern themselves with lived-in bars (Cold Can) and backroad acuity (Life's Been Comin' Too Fast.) Charms are found across the release, like in the honky-tonk happy Texas, and its cheerful reference to George Strait's classic All My Ex's Live In Texas, or the big-hearted and big-voiced ballad on God and grief, Let Him In Anyway. Collaborations are few and pointed. Shelton and Stefani harmonize beautifully on Hanging On; he does the same with Craig Morgan on Heaven Sweet Home, an affecting meditation of mortality. He taps Josh Anderson for the slow-burn closer Years. Shelton might live a very different life than the characters found in his songs, as is often true of any larger-than-life celebrity performer, but make no mistake, this is a giant pop-country record with limitless potential for radio ubiquity. ★★★ out of five Stream: Cold Can; Stay Country or Die Tryin' — Maria Sherman, The Associated Press Blondshell If You Asked for a Picture (Partisan) Sabrina Teitelbaum, who records under the band name Blondshell, is a longtime student of alt-rock. She knows a thing or two about all the ways in which a cutting lyric and thunderous guitar can rejuvenate the soul and soundtrack rage. On her sophomore album, If You Asked for a Picture, she builds from the success of her earlier work — 2023's self-titled debut and its haunting single Salad. Over the course of 12 tracks, Blondshell reckons with a woman's role in her various relationships, personally and societally. Those messages — gritty, real, existential and fluid as they are — arrive atop visceral instrumentation, hearty guitars and punchy percussion. Much of the album sits at the intersection of modern indie, '90s grunge and '80s college radio rock, like that of Event of a Fire. On the acoustic fake-out Thumbtack, instrumentation builds slow and remains restrained. Man is muscular, with its soaring distortion and layered production. On If You Asked for a Picture, relationships are nuanced, awkward and honest — her flawed and frustrated characters show how easy it is to succumb to the whims of someone who doesn't have your best interest in mind, to become someone else when you don't know who you are. If there is a main weakness it is that a number of the tracks bleed together sonically near the record's end, making it hard to distinguish a three-song run: Toy to Man. Fans will likely label it stylistic consistency rather than tiresome repetition. There's a lot to love here, though. T&A, Model Rockets and the palm-muted power chords of What's Fair warrant repeat listens. The swaying mellotron of Model Rockets things and might serve as a mission statement for the album — where identity and desire are malleable, influenced by relationships and the evolving nature of the world, made more complicated by simply being a woman in it. ★★★½ out of five Stream: What's Fair; T&A — Rachel S. Hunt, The Associated Press Ingrid Laubrock Purposing The Air (Pyroclastic) Ingrid Laubrock is a terrific saxophonist who is not playing on her second release; instead, she has written and produced one of the most unique and fascinating albums in recent memory. The album has 60 brief tracks called koans. A koan is defined as 'a story, dialogue, question or statement from Chinese Buddhist Lore, supplemented with commentaries, that is used in Zen Buddhist practice in different ways.' Laubrock has created 60 brief moods as koans, all fragments from the poetry of Erica Hunt. To present them, she has miniature phrases of the poems delivered by four duets: vocalist Fay Victor with cellist Mariel Roberts; vocalist Sara Serpa with pianist Matt Mitchell; vocalist Theo Bleckmann with guitarist Ben Monder; and vocalist Rachel Calloway with violinist Ari Streisfeld. This might sound confusing but the impact is extremely powerful. The range of moods and musical accompaniments is extraordinary. With each duo getting 15 koans, there is wide room for experimentation. From intense repeated words to humorous riffs ('Catch the ball and now I throw it') the surprises are endless. Most of the koans are several minutes at best and while perhaps wanting more, the whole mood is then spun out of shape with a totally different idea. The vocalists are very different and the duet partners are tied in beautifully. For example Koan 5 with Serpa/Mitchell makes 1:37 seem just the right length. Bleckmann's vocals, as the only male singer, make a different sense of the concept. Figuring out how to listen to this album is an important decision. It can sound different the second time through while initially captivating the listener. Cello, piano, guitar and violin work well with the poetic fragments Laubrock has chosen. To my ear, the least successful is the classically trained voice of Calloway. While beautiful, it seems to overpower the moods of the koans, but this is a small comment in an album of challenging and complex music. Expect a new experience. ★★★★½ out of five Stream: Koans 1, 16, 31, 46 — Keith Black Elation Pauls Sustenance (Spektral) Canadian violinist Elation Pauls celebrates her inaugural recording with Sustenance, a self-curated program on Germany's Spektral label featuring nine contemporary chamber works for solo violin and piano, including several commissioned world premières by prominent national composers. What becomes clear in this labour-of-love project born in the crucible of the global pandemic is its fearless sense of adventure. Pauls, who serves as the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra's assistant principal second violin, immediately displays her expressive artistry in such arresting works as Iman Habibi's Offering of Water. Another is Kelly-Marie Murphy's Fire-and-Ice-Bodied-Doubled-Up-Withdrawal-Anxiety, its driving moto perpetuo figures conjuring the (frankly) uncharted craziness of those unprecedented COVID-19 days. Particular highlights include David Braid's lushly lyrical The Interior Castle and Without Words, as well as Serouj Kradjian's deeply poetic Sari Aghtchig (Girl from the Mountain), derived from a folk melody from his Armenian homeland that enthralls, with Pauls joined by the two composers on piano during their respective pieces. For those who appreciate more narrative-based works, there is Karen Sunabacka's Jack the Fiddler, based on her maternal grandfather Jack's rediscovery and healing through Red River Métis culture, with the Manitoba-born composer also serving as storyteller. Cris Derksen's Country Food similarly features a thoughtful narration regarding Indigenous food sovereignty as a timely topical issue, punctuated by Pauls's dramatic flourishes. The ambitious album is capped by a second Kradjian offering, Tango Melancolico. The internationally renowned composer, now on piano, and Pauls hold nothing back in this passionate ride into the heart of tango; the highly stylized dance fuelled by lyrical passagework and syncopated rhythmic accents seemingly mirroring the intense emotionalism of those gone-but-never forgotten pandemic years that changed us all forever. ★★★★½ out of five Stream: Sari Aghtchig; Tango Melancolico — Holly Harris
Forbes
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Blake Shelton Reaches A New Career Low Point
Blake Shelton's For Recreational Use Only debuts at No. 46 on the Billboard 200, marking the weakest ... More start of his career for a full-length album. NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 19: Blake Shelton hosts Opry 100: A Live Celebration at Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman Auditorium on March 19, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo byfor the Grand Ole Opry) Blake Shelton's new album For Recreational Use Only, debuts across multiple Billboard charts this week in the United States. While the country icon remains one of the genre's biggest figureheads, his latest project is off to a relatively weak start. In fact, its launch point is a shockingly low one for a superstar, who has reached the highest of highs several times before. For Recreational Use Only begins its run on the Billboard 200 at No. 46. As it joins the list of the most-consumed albums in the country, it immediately marks a career low for Shelton — at least when considering his traditional studio efforts. It barely beats his previous low point, set by his self-titled debut full-length Blake Shelton. That effort, which introduced him to the world and helped turn him into the star he is today, peaked at No. 45 when it arrived in 2001. Many of Shelton's past releases have entered the top 10 on the Billboard 200. He's sent a dozen projects into that region, and two of them have climbed all the way to No. 1. According to Luminate, For Recreational Use Only shifted just over 17,000 equivalent units in its first full seven-day tracking period. Of that total, 10,500 were pure purchases. While that sales sum is one of the largest of the week, it wasn't enough to prevent the country singer-songwriter from hitting a new low on the Billboard 200. Shelton's latest collection performs significantly better on two other Billboard rankings than on the all-consumption roster. It opens at No. 6 on the Top Album Sales chart thanks to its five-digit pure sales count. The title also launches at No. 8 on the Top Country Albums list. While that position also marks a new low for the star, it's still the highest-ranking debut on that tally this week. For Recreational Use Only experiences a noticeable drop when it comes to opening placement compared to Shelton's last album. He released Body Language in May 2021, and it peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard 200. This new project differs in that it wasn't released by a major label. Still, a No. 45 entry is undeniably disappointing.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Blake Shelton Fans Are 'Sobbing' as Singer Celebrates Exciting News
Right after midnight on May 9, Blake Shelton took to social media to celebrate the release of his highly-anticipated new 13th studio album, For Recreational Use Only. Shelton shared a photo of the album cover and tracklist on Instagram, excitedly writing, "IT'S HERE PEOPLE!!!! My brand new album 'For Recreational Use Only' is out now!!!! It's been years in the making and I'm so excited it's finally yours.. Hope y'all love it!!!! Link in bio to listen!!!" 🎬 🎬 Fans were just as hyped up about the release, with many noting in the comments that they were already listening to Shelton's new songs and sharing their thoughts. "Album of the year!!! It's absolutely amazing 🔥🔥," one fan boldly declared, as more wrote, "It's freaking amazing! Congrats 🔥," and "your whole new album is so amazing @blakeshelton !! Thank you for giving us this fantastic album Blake!! 🔥👏🧡." "Heaven Sweet Home & Years??? Sobbing. SO SO GOOD 😭," said another fan. One person even called it a "masterpiece." Others were simply excited about the news, with comments like, "WHAT A GREAT TIME TO BE ALIVEEEEE🥹🥹🥹," and "SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP." For Recreational Use Only has 12 tracks total, with songs featuring Gwen Stefani, Craig Morgan and John Anderson. Shelton released the singles "Texas," "Let Him In Anyway," and "Stay Country Or Die Tryin'" ahead of the album's release. The singer's last studio album was 2021's Body Language.
Daily Tribune
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Tribune
Blake Shelton's marriage to Gwen Stefani feels ‘new'
Bang Showbiz | Los Angeles Blake Shelton's relationship with Gwen Stefani 'still feels new'. The couple will celebrate their 10th anniversary together later this year but the 48-yearold country star admitted it doesn't feel like so much time has passed for himself and the No Doubt frontwoman, who he went on to marry in 2021. He told People magazine: 'It honestly does [feel like time is flying by]. Some of the things that we talk about, we're to the point in our relationship that it's like, 'Oh, remember what happened...' and you realise, 'Oh my God, that was eight years ago!' 'It's like, how did this happen so quickly? '10 years is a long time [but the relationship] still feels new for me. 'I feel like that might be the key to happiness, is that it feels just as exciting and new and happy.' Although Blake is currently promoting his new album, 'For Recreational Use Only', he is looking forward to a family summer with Gwen and her sons Kingston, 18, Zuma, 16, and 11-year-old Apollo - whose father is Gavin Rossdale - though they haven't yet made any plans. He said: 'I'm looking forward to the kids being out of school. Gwen and I pretty much have our summers wide open. We both have a few shows here and there, but nothing that's tying us down to keep us from going and doing something fun. 'We don't have any plans — which is our favourite plan.' Gwen, 55, appears on 'Hangin' On' on Blake's new album and he admitted they spend 'months' talking about their collaborations, though she is 'way more particular' about lyrics than he is. He said: 'We live together, so we walk around the house singing these songs all the time and we have months to talk about, 'Hey, maybe you jump on that part.' 'By the time we get to the studio, we're normally really prepared.
