Blake Shelton Posts Epic Throwback in Honor of Upcoming ACM Performance
Rich Fury/ACMA2019/Getty Images for ACM Reading Time: 3 minutes
Blake Shelton is one of the world’s biggest country superstars who came from humble beginnings in Oklahoma. He recently posted a throwback video of his song “Austin,” his 2001 debut single that launched his career. Shelton will perform the song during this year’s ACM Awards.
Blake Shelton Honors His Hit ‘Austin’ From 20 Years Ago
Shelton never imagined that “Austin” would establish itself as his very first number one country hit and land on the Billboard Hot 100 pop charts. The song was written after Shelton broke up with his girlfriend at the time.
SEE ALSO: BLAKE SHELTON THOUGHT ‘THE VOICE’ WAS RIDICULOUS,’ SO WHAT MADE HIM DO IT?
In the video, the now-44-year-old is nearly unrecognizable with long curly hair and a cowboy hat. He sings in front of a screen playing memories of the woman he once loved.
He looks totally different now with silver-fox hair and notable beard. Shelton’s transformation is proof to all singers out there that becoming a star truly is a journey. But something tells us once his buddies Adam Levine and Luke Bryan see this throwback video, they will both likely roast him for it.
The meaning behind the song might not be something you would expect from Shelton today.
“I’ve had girlfriends I’ve gotten back together with after we’d broken up, and it never worked out,” he said in a 2001 interview. “But ‘Austin’ relates to all of those situations, whether it works out or not. It’s really about second chances.”
Obviously now Shelton is a hit with the ladies and his fiancé Gwen Stefani. The pair met on the set of The Voice in 2014 and have had several chart-topping duets since they began dating in 2015.
Shelton is celebrating the 20th anniversary of “Austin” by selling commemorative vinyls that are now available for pre-order.
Shelton Will Perform the Song Live This Sunday
Shelton was announced as one of the performers at the upcoming ACM Awards on Sunday, April 18 at 8 p.m. ET. He will be singing “Austin” along with his latest hit “Minimum Wage,” which caused a bit of a controversy. Still, fans have this epic throwback performance to look forward to.
“I remember the first time I heard ‘Austin’ on the radio. I was driving on [Nashville’s Interstate] 440, and I kept looking to both sides, trying to see if other drivers were singing along!” He recalled, “At that time, the station had a slogan about how they played new artists and legends, and the DJ said something like, ‘Who knows…maybe this artist will become one of the legends.’ This song started it all for me. I couldn’t be prouder to celebrate its 20th anniversary.”
SEE ALSO: JOHN LEGEND AMONG FOUR BLACK ARTISTS NOMINATED AT THE ACM AWARDS, MOST IN SHOW’S HISTORY
Shelton and Stefani are nominated for Music Event of the Year for their duet “Nobody But You.” While they are up against some stiff competition in the category, this has been an epic year for them and we hope to see our favorite celebrity couple bring home the win.
