Blake Shelton is defending both his and his wife Gwen Stefani's performances at the recent American Music Awards. Shelton performed his new single, "Stay Country or Die Tryin'," later returning to introduce Stefani, who sang a medley of her current single, "Swallow My Tears," plus two early hits, "The Sweet Escape" and "Hollaback Girl."
Eagle-eyed fans quickly noticed that both of their performances seemed to be recorded ahead of time. Shelton doesn't directly confirm or deny whether they each performed during the live ceremony, but he does say the situation was out of their hands.
"Just now seeing these stories about Gwen and I pretaping our performances for the AMAs," Shelton writes on X. "We came and performed when the show asked us to.. Really nothing else to say."
Blake Shelton's "Stay Country or Die Tryin'" Single
Regardless of when Shelton performed "Stay Country or Die Tryin'," it already sounds like a big hit for Shelton. The song is the second single from his For Recreational Use Only album, released earlier this month. "Stay Country or Die Tryin'" comes after "Texas," his first single from the record, became Shelton's 30th No. 1 single.
"When I heard 'Stay Country or Die Tryin,'' it took me back to the first time I heard 'Ol' Red' or 'God's Country,'" Shelton says of the new song. "It's got so much energy and is full of those little catchphrases and things we say out in the country. I absolutely fell in love with it. I'm proud of this recording - and I love singing it live even more. Hopefully, you'll come catch a show and sing it with us."
Shelton is thrilled that "Stay Country or Die Tryin'" is out, part of an exciting new musical chapter for him. The record is his first in four years, since Body Language came out in 2021.
"It's been a long time since we had a new album out, and I want to thank the songwriters and musicians who helped bring this record to life. ... I'm beyond excited to finally share it with the fans," Shelton says of the project.
In addition to "Texas" and "Stay Country or Die Tryin'," Shelton also has a duet with Stefani on For Recreational Use Only. The two combine their talents to sing "Hangin' On," a break-up song.
