Blake Shelton is just fine being a country hit machine, but he doesn\u2019t want anybody else messing with his catalog.<\/p>\n
During a hilarious and surprisingly self-aware visit to Taste of Country Nights, the \u201cGod\u2019s Country\u201d singer cracked open a side of himself we don\u2019t often see. When the topic shifted from his favorite Gwen Stefani tracks to the idea of musical covers, Blake didn\u2019t miss a beat. He joked that he loves Gwen\u2019s version of \u201cIt\u2019s My Life\u201d (originally by Talk Talk) even more than the original, then turned that spotlight on himself.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope nobody ever remakes any of my music,\u201d Shelton said with a laugh. \u201cBecause I know that will happen to me. People will be like, \u2018Oh my God, way better than Blake Shelton.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
And just like that, Mr. Oklahoma let his honesty show, dressed up in a joke. He was half-joking, but only half. There was plenty of truth behind the humor. In a world where every artist dreams of being the one others want to cover, Shelton\u2019s take is a refreshing curveball.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not about hating covers or being territorial. It\u2019s about legacy. It\u2019s about holding onto the heart and soul that went into the original. The thought of someone taking a song like \u201cAustin\u201d or \u201cOl\u2019 Red\u201d and putting their own spin on it, only to have people claim it\u2019s an upgrade, is enough to make Blake crack another beer and shake his head.<\/p>\n
Shelton\u2019s self-deprecating streak is nothing new. The dude\u2019s been roasting himself longer than he\u2019s been trading jabs with Luke Bryan. But behind the jokes is a guy who takes his music seriously, even if he doesn\u2019t always take himself that way. With 30 No.1 songs across Billboard\u2019s country charts, Blake\u2019s more than earned the right to want his hits left untouched.<\/p>\n
And maybe that\u2019s the thing. When you know the blood, sweat, and guitar strings that went into every line, it\u2019s a little hard to imagine someone else trying it on like a rhinestone jacket at a thrift shop.<\/p>\n
But for all his joking about not wanting people to cover his songs, Blake\u2019s philosophy on music is the exact opposite when it comes to writing them. In another recent chat with CMT, he opened up about how he picks the tracks that make it onto his albums. Spoiler alert: it\u2019s not about who wrote them, it\u2019s about how damn good they are.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t care who writes the song,\u201d Shelton said. \u201cI could care less.\u201d<\/p>\n
He doesn\u2019t even check the name behind the lyrics half the time. What he\u2019s chasing is feel, that instinct that tells him a song\u2019s a hit, whether it\u2019s from a Nashville heavyweight or some unknown kid trying to break in.<\/p>\n
That open-door policy has paid off in more ways than one. It\u2019s helped bring unknown writers into the spotlight, giving them a shot when the rest of the industry might\u2019ve passed them by. And in Blake\u2019s world, that\u2019s how it should be. The best song wins. Always.<\/p>\n
Which is why it\u2019s kinda poetic that he wants his own songs to stay as they are. He didn\u2019t write all of them, but he picked them for a reason. They hit something in him. They stuck. And now they\u2019re part of the country music fabric, stitched into radio playlists and barroom jukeboxes for a generation of fans.<\/p>\n
So when he says he doesn\u2019t want anyone to cover them, it\u2019s not arrogance. It\u2019s reverence. It\u2019s the belief that the song found its home the first time around. And maybe that\u2019s the most country thing about him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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