Blake Shelton sang his new single to usher in 2025. The Oklahoma native performed “Texas” live at his newest Ole Red, this one in Las Vegas, with his performance televised as part of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2025.
Shelton opened his Ole Red Las Vegas in January of 2024, the largest of his six bars and music venues.
“This is a giant, and so I don’t know that I would say I’m emotional, but it is overwhelming,” Shelton told People ahead of its opening. “And it’s hard for me to take it all in right now and just accept that this is really happening and we’re almost to the finish line.”
“Texas” is Shelton’s first single on BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville, after announcing last year he left Warner Music Nashville, the label he had been with since his eponymous freshman album was released in 2001. Shelton, and the rest of his team, knew early on that “Texas” was the perfect way for Shelton to introduce his next album.
“When I went in and played three or four things for BMG, they’re the ones that went, ‘Oh my God, this song,’” Shelton tells American Songwriter. “Then as I went around and played it for other friends and family and people that I work with. It was unanimous every time I played it for people. They were like, ‘Play that again.’”
“It was exactly what I was praying for throughout this process,” he adds, remembering that one person asked him to play it three times in a row. “I am to the point in my career where I’ve started to think people maybe a lot of times were going to wait to see what I say first.”
“Texas” was written by Johnny Clawson, Kyle Sturrock, Josh Dorr and Lalo Guzman. The song reminded Shelton of a song by one of his biggest musical idols: Ronnie Milsap.
“It kind of walks a line that’s a little bit of a ‘Stranger In My House’ or something like that,” Shelton says. “It’s kind of got this haunting thing about it, but you can also jam out and rock out to it at the same time.”
The 48-year-old has already enjoyed a long and successful career in country music, a career he built by always staying true to himself.
“I knew I loved the song, but I don’t record songs that I don’t love,” Shelton acknowledges. “So that was the easy part to, know that I loved it. I needed to know what other people thought about it before I was willing to say, ‘Let’s come with it first.’ I haven’t done this in a long time, and I wanted it to have an impact.”
Shelton will return to Las Vegas next month for his Blake Shelton: Live in Las Vegas, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The residency begins on February 5, 2005, and runs through February 15.
“Texas” set a new career record for Shelton when it was released, with the most first-week adds at radio ever in his career. Find the song and all of Shelton’s music and upcoming shows, including his Las Vegas residency, at BlakeShelton.com.
Photo Credit: Penske Media