Starting his career in 2001, Blake Shelton quickly cemented his place in country music – but is it already time to think about retiring? The artist and The Voice coach has discussed when he would step away from it all, and why. In discussing retirement, Shelton also opened up about the emotions that come with people moving on from him.
Shelton, 46, has released several gold and platinum-certified albums, even early in his career. 40 of his singles have charted and he earned himself several Grammy nominations. Music is a family business, as Shelton is married to fellow singer Gwen Stefani; Shelton eagerly became a stepfather to Stefani’s three sons, who he loves as much as he does the “Rich Girl” singer. Indeed, he has also expressed his readiness to enjoy a quiet life with Stefani and his family. Here are his views on retiring and relevance.
Blake Shelton discusses eventually retiring
To talk about retiring, Shelton brought up relevance and his continued – or deteriorating – popularity over time. “I’ve always been prepared for when this ends and my song doesn’t get played anymore, and it’s over,” he shared, “it’s always over at some point. I’ve always been prepared for that and I’ve braced myself for it. I learned to accept it a few years ago, maybe three or four or five years ago that it’s coming.”
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Part of that comes from his unique outlook on legacy. “I don’t want to sell out stadiums,” admitted Shelton. “I don’t care about winning any awards. My award and stadium is when I look back at the last 20 years of my life and go, ‘Man, how the f—did that just happen?'”
Shelton plans on carrying this as long as he and fans want
Shelton’s plans for retiring hinge on however long fans still love what he’s doing; then, he loves it too and will continue making music. “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 make them anymore,” he explained. “I’m not somebody that’s ever going to beat my head against the wall, because this room, these people, this industry has given me way, way more than I ever deserved.”
He went on to add, “When it’s my time to make room for somebody else, the last thing I want to do is keep them screaming to keep my spot.” Shelton plans on supporting the next generation even when it seems his own fame has run its course – and part of that means not taking up their space.
