There’s been a lot of speculation over the last couple of years about how much longer Blake Shelton will remain a coach on The Voice. The NBC singing competition celebrated its 500th episode during its most recent season, and the cowboy was there for every single one of them. While he is the only coach who’s appeared on all 21 seasons, there’s a job Shelton’s been succeeding at a lot longer than The Voice, and that is, of course, country music. But is there a possibility that the more tuneful side of his career might also be coming to an end sooner rather than later ?
Blake Shelton broke into the country scene in 2001 with his first single, “Austin,” which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. To date, he’s had 28 #1 hits from his twelve studio albums, and there aren't any obvious signs that he's on a downward slope. However, he recently opened up to People about how long he can ride that wave, saying he’s been honest with himself about when he’ll be ready to stop recording new music:
I've kind of always been prepared for when this ends and my songs aren't getting played anymore. And I learned to accept it a few years ago — maybe three or four or five years ago — that it's coming ... You have to be honest with yourself, and you can't believe that this is gonna go on forever, because it's not. ... I want to make great records, and the moment that I feel like I'm really not that relevant anymore, I don't think I want to [record] anymore.
While I can see the importance of being honest with yourself in regards to how relevant your work is — he doesn’t want to be the “new Nickelback” — he really needs to look no further than his wife, Gwen Stefani, to see the kind of longevity an artist can have. Even if it means flipping genres around. Her career started with the ska band No Doubt in 1995, and she’s still making awards-friendly music. In fact, she was featured in Blake Shelton’s last two No. 1 singles — “Nobody But You” and “Happy Anywhere.”
I think it’s precisely those kinds of experiences — being able to make music with his wife — that give Blake Shelton such peace about whatever comes next in his career when the popularity fades. He said if and when it all ends, he’s going to be satisfied.
I'm not somebody that's ever gonna beat my head against the wall, because this industry has given me way, way more than I ever deserved. And I know that, and I'm proud of that. And when it's my time to make room for somebody else, the last thing I'm gonna do is kick and scream to keep my post ... But whenever that is, look, there's not one complaint that I could have. I couldn't be prouder and happier.
Blake Shelton certainly has a lot to be proud of, even though he probably doesn’t need to start talking about hanging up his hat just yet. He did acknowledge, however, that getting married and becoming a stepfather to Gwen Stefani’s three sons has changed his priorities, so we’ll have to wait and see if and how the family man's career starts to take a back burner.
I, for one, don’t think Blake Shelton is finished in the studio, and I think he will stick around for Season 22 of The Voice when it returns to NBC this fall, although it’s possible the show will need to switch up some members of its current panel. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates on that, and check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see what new and returning shows are premiering soon.
