When Blake Shelton's For Recreational Use Only album comes out on Friday, May 9, the record includes an emotional new track. Shelton includes "Heaven Sweet Home" on the record, one he sings with Craig Morgan. Shelton recorded the song in tribute to Morgan's late son, Jerry, who passed away in 2016 due to accidental drowning.
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"I recorded that song a few years ago, maybe four or even five years ago," Shelton tells People. "I've done this a lot in my career ... I'll have songs that I've cut that, for whatever reason, may not feel like they work for whatever particular album I'm putting together at that moment.
"I'll just sit on them and wait," he continues. "When we were finishing up this album, I dug that song out and it made me think of Jerry."
Shelton and Morgan are close friends, and recent touring partners. But now that Shelton is a stepfather to Gwen Stefani's three sons, Shelton feels a personal connection to the song, and to Morgan's grief.
"I knew [Jerry] when he was a little kid," Shelton says. "And it was just on my mind, I guess, because I'm getting older and have kids now. It just hit me different now. I reached out to Craig and asked him if he would sing on the record with me, and he jumped on it and took it to a completely different level of hope and emotion."
Blake Shelton's 'For Recreational Use Only'
"Heaven Sweet Home" is one of 12 songs on For Recreational Use Only, an album that is Shelton's first in four years, since Body Language came out in 2021. The record includes "Texas," his latest No. 1 hit, plus the country anthem, "Stay Country or Die Tryin'," his "Hangin' On" duet with Stefani and more.
The project also includes "Let Him In Anyway," an emotional, spiritual song written by Hardy, along with Zach Abend, Kyle Clark and Carson Wallace.
"'Let Him In Anyway' is one of the most powerful songs I've ever had the chance to record," says Shelton. "HARDY is a co-writer and a friend, and I've never heard a song like this before. When I first listened to it, I knew it was something special. It's an honor to bring it to life, and I'm incredibly proud of the record we made."
