The past three years have definitely been a pretty eventful one for the country star, especially when Blake Shelton’s “God’s Country” turned into one of the biggest hits of his career after two decades.
It was released in March 2019 as the first single off Shelton’s compilation album, Fully Loaded: God’s Country. The country star performed the ballad for the first time at the Academy of Country Music Awards a month after its release. A few weeks later, it reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, the first among Blake Shelton songs to top the chart after six years. It also crossed-over to the pop chart, peaking at No. 17 on Billboard Hot 100.
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But the song’s success did not stop there! “God’s Country” took home awards left and right. This includes Single of the Year both at the 2019 Country Music Association Awards and the 2020 Academy of Country Music Awards. It also earned a Best Country Solo Performance nomination during the 2020 Grammy Awards.
Story Behind The Song
Blake Shelton shared what it was like when he heard “God’s Country” for the first time. While driving his skid-steer, his producer Scott Hendricks sent him about six brand-new songs. Shelton decided to listen to the tracks as he worked on clearing some of his farmland in Oklahoma to plant ten or fifteen acres of alfalfa.
“God’s Country” was the first song he played, and it came out to be the most shocking moment he’s had in his two-decade career. He said he was so moved that he had to pull over. The country setting even intensified his connection to the song.
“That song sounds like a remedy, as a cure, like everything that I need in my life to hear,” Shelton said about the track, which was written by Hardy, Devin Dawson, and Jordan Schmidt.
Tune in below and listen to Blake Shelton’s “God’s Country.”