Blake Shelton is set to release his 11th studio album this fall. Texoma Shore is a journey back to the artist’s roots, in more ways than one.
“When you listen to the record, it will go from something traditional to something that will make your head spin, back to something even more traditional,” says Shelton in press release. “That’s just what you can expect from one of my albums.”
Texoma Shore follows Shelton’s 2016 album If I’m Honest.
“At this point in my career, it’s always good for me to try something different, with different sounds, and I think you’ll hear hints of that on this record,” Shelton continues. “I’ve explored about every part of country music you can explore, and it seems like I always keep coming back to my roots, which is traditional country music.”
Below, The Boot rounds up all of the details known so far about Texoma Shore.
The Title
The title Texoma Shore is an ode to Shelton’s unabashed Oklahoma pride. Lake Texoma is a reservoir formed by the Denison Dam, which is located on the Red River, at the border of Oklahoma and Texas (hence the portmanteau Texoma). The lake is located about an hour south of both Tishomingo, Okla., where Shelton lives, and Ada, Okla., Shelton’s hometown.
“Lake Texoma has always been a place of great memories, new and old,” Shelton says in a press release. “I literally recorded this album on its shore, so it’s full circle for me to take the love of this place and my love of country music.”
The Release Date
Texoma Shore is set for release on Nov. 3, but fans can pre-order the album now. Shelton admits that he wasn’t expecting to release a new record in 2017.
“I planned on still being in the middle of releasing music off If I’m Honest, and that was the plan. That was the label’s plan and the manager’s plan, and I called one day and said, ‘Hey guys, when this current single runs its course, screw it. Let’s come out with a new album,'” Shelton tells ET. “Usually I get the call going, ‘Hey, think maybe you could get in the studio?’ So I caught everybody off guard, which is another indicator of how excited I am about this one.”
The Record Label
Texoma Shore will be released on Warner Bros. Nashville, Shelton’s longtime label home.
The Album Cover
@BlakeShelton, Instagram
The cover for Texoma Shore features a sun-washed portrait of Shelton, in his trademark blue jeans and a plaid button-down shirt, standing next to a rowboat on the shore of his beloved Lake Texoma.
The Producer
Scott Hendricks produced Texoma Shore. The producer produced or co-produced Shelton’s six previous projects.
The Single
Shelton introduced “I’ll Name the Dogs” as the first single off his upcoming album on Sept. 8. The clever lyrics and traditional country theme are classic Shelton, akin to his big hit “Honey Bee,” which was, coincidentally, co-written by one of the composers of “I’ll Name the Dogs,” Ben Hayslip.
“You find the spot and I’ll find the money / You be the pretty and I’ll be the funny,” Shelton sings in the chorus of “I’ll Name the Dogs.” “You plant the flowers, I’ll plant the kisses / Baby let’s get right down to business …”
Matt Dragstrem and Josh Thompson were also part of the songwriting team for Shelton’s “I’ll Name the Dogs.”
The Songs
Overall, Shelton says, Texoma Shore will be less personal than his last album, If I’m Honest: “There’s a song or two on there that are directly personal, but, you know, for the most part, I just made an album that feels how I feel now — that’s just happy and go with the flow,” he tells ET. “That’s kinda how the album feels when you listen to it.”
In addition to “I’ll Name the Dogs,” Shelton showcases a solid mix of fun and contemplative, slow and rowdy on Texoma Shore. The album contains one song that he wrote and is “very proud of,” according to a press release — that would be Track No. 6, “Turnin’ Me On.”
According to ET, “Turnin’ Me On” features a subtle reference to Shelton’s girlfriend, Gwen Stefani. The song was written by Shelton, Jessi Alexander and Josh Osborne, and features the lyric “She’s Revlon red in the blackest night,” a reference to Stefani’s work with the Revlon cosmetics brand (and her penchant for red lip color).
Texoma Shore‘s second track, “At the House,” Shelton explains, is part of the reason the album is named what it is. The song was written by Jamie Moore and Craig Wiseman, and the singer says he found himself connecting with the track while hanging out on Lake Texoma over the summer.
“There was one week in particular where it was just Gwen and I out there just basically hanging out. We finally had some time off, so we went out on the water every day, went back up to the house every night and just had one of the greatest times of my life,” Shelton shares. “We were listening to this song and relating to it and realizing, ‘Man, this is one of those summers that we’re always going to remember.’”
Blake Shelton, Texoma Shore Track Listing:
1. “I’ll Name the Dogs” (Matt Dragstrem, Ben Hayslip, Josh Thompson)
2. “At the House” (Jamie Moore, Craig Wiseman)
3. “Beside You Babe” (Abe Stoklasa, Mark Trussell)
4. “Why Me” (Ashley Gorley, Dallas Davidson, Ross Copperman)
5. “Money” (Craig Wiseman, James Bailey, Ryan Ogren)
6. “Turnin’ Me On” (Blake Shelton, Jessi Alexander, Josh Osborne)
7. “The Wave” (Josh Osborne, Ross Copperman)
8. “Got the T-Shirt” (Matt Jenkins, Jessi Alexander, Chase McGill)
9. “Hangover Due” (Craig Wiseman, Matt Dragstrem)
10. “When the Wine Wears Off” (Ashley Gorley, Rhett Akins, Ross Copperman)
11. “I Lived It” (Ashley Gorley, Ben Hayslip, Rhett Akins, Ross Copperman)
The Tour
From mid-February 2018 through mid-March 2018, Shelton will be on the road for his Country Music Freaks Tour. Trace Adkins, Brett Eldredge and Carly Pearce will be joining him.
“The main thing that I look forward to these days, and, honestly, I always have, is my live performances,” Shelton says. “And even though I’m the first to say that too much time on the road can wear me down, too much time away from the road can break my heart. It’s been a while, and I cannot wait to get out there! I think this is going to be my greatest tour yet.”
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