For Recreational Use Only

For Recreational Use Only
Studio album by Blake Shelton
Released	May 9, 2025 (2025-05-09)
Recorded	2024–2025
Genre	Country
Length	39:56
Label	Wheelhouse Records
Producer	Scott Hendricks
Blake Shelton chronology
Body Language (2021) For Recreational Use Only (2025)
Singles from For Recreational Use Only
"Texas" Released: November 15, 2024 "Stay Country or Die Tryin'" Released: May 19, 2025

For Recreational Use Only is the thirteenth studio album by American country singer Blake Shelton. It was released on May 9, 2025, through Wheelhouse Records.

Background

Blake Shelton started writing the album's songs after the success of "Pour Me a Drink", his collaboration with Post Malone; according to Shelton, the success of the collaboration "lit a fire under" Shelton.^[1] The album was announced on March 14, 2025.^[2]

Promotion

"Texas" was released as the album's lead single on November 15, 2024.^[3] It peaked at number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[4] "Let Him in Anyway" and "Stay Country or Die Tryin'" were released as promotional singles ahead of the album.^[5][6] According to American Songwriter, Gwen Stefani loves the former song.^[7] "Stay Country or Die Tryin'" was released as the album's second single to country radio on May 19, 2025.^[8] The music video for "Stay Country or Die Tryin'" uses AI as a tribute to country life and land.^[9] On May 8, "Hangin' On" was released as a promotional single.^[10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[11]
Entertainment Focus	[12]
Holler	[13]

The American newspaper The Washington Post stated that it is a "fitting declaration for both his latest project and the current state of his career"^[14]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Stay Country or Die Tryin'"	Beau Bailey Graham Barham Sam Ellis Drew Parker	3:41
2.	"Texas"	Johnny Clawson Josh Dorr Lalo Guzman Kyle Sturrock	2:49
3.	"Hangin' On" (featuring Gwen Stefani)	Ellis Greylan James Charles Kelley	3:26
4.	"Strangers"	Zach Crowell Michael Hardy Jameson Rodgers	3:21
5.	"Let Him in Anyway"	Zach Abend Kyle Clark Hardy Carson Wallace	3:17
6.	"Heaven Sweet Home" (featuring Craig Morgan)	Sarah Buxton Jake Rose Chris Tompkins	3:41
7.	"Life's Been Coming Too Fast"	David Lee Murphy Lindsay Rimes Craig Wiseman	3:10
8.	"Don't Mississippi"	Ross Copperman Ben Hayslip Shane McAnally Josh Osborne	3:07
9.	"All of My Love"	Blake Shelton Matt McGinn Colton Swon Zach Swon	3:39
10.	"Cold Can"	Andrew DeRoberts Osborne Bobby Pinson	3:06
11.	"The Keys"	Brock Berryhill Jay Brunswick Pinson	2:51
12.	"Years" (featuring John Anderson)	Anderson John Anderson Dan Auerbach David Ferguson Pat McLaughlin	3:48

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.^[15]

Musicians

• Blake Shelton – lead vocals
• Nir Z – drums (all tracks), tambourine (tracks 1, 8, 9), shaker (5), programming (6, 11), congas (9)
• Troy Lancaster – electric guitar
• Tom Bukovac – electric guitar (tracks 1–5, 7–10)
• Gordon Mote – piano (tracks 1–3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12), Hammond B3 organ (1, 5–9), electric piano (2, 4, 7, 9), organ (2), synthesizer (4, 12); celeste piano, strings (12)
• Sam Bergeson – electric guitar, programming (tracks 1–3, 5, 7–10); slide guitar (1, 5, 9), additional guitar (1), synthesizer (2, 3, 7, 9), backing vocals (2, 7), acoustic guitar (2, 9), bass (3); keyboards, percussion (7); lap steel guitar (10)
• Jimmie Lee Sloas – bass (tracks 1–3, 5, 7–10)
• Bryan Sutton – acoustic guitar (tracks 1, 3–5, 8–10), mandolin (1, 9), guitar (8)
• Perry Coleman – backing vocals (tracks 1, 2, 4–8, 10, 11)
• Justin Niebank – programming (tracks 1, 4–6, 8, 9, 11, 12)
• Aubrey Haynie – fiddle (tracks 1, 8)
• Drew Parker – backing vocals (track 1)
• Ilya Toshinskiy – acoustic guitar (tracks 2, 6, 7, 11)
• Pat Bergeson – electric guitar, guitar (track 2)
• Gwen Stefani – lead vocals (track 3)
• Mark Hill – bass (tracks 4, 6, 11)
• Paul Franklin – steel guitar (tracks 4, 6, 11)
• Blair Masters – synthesizer (tracks 6, 11), steel guitar (6), piano (11)
• Adam Shoenfeld – electric guitar (tracks 6, 11)
• Kara Britz – backing vocals (tracks 6, 12)
• Craig Morgan – lead vocals (track 6)
• Carla Harris – backing vocals (track 7)
• Chuck Aly – backing vocals (track 7)
• James Furlough – backing vocals (track 7)
• Keely Hendricks – backing vocals (track 7)
• Kenny Sweeney – backing vocals (track 7)
• Kevin Harris – backing vocals (track 7)
• Mason Rudolph – backing vocals (track 7)
• Remy Garrison – backing vocals (track 7)
• Shannon Finnegan – backing vocals (track 7)
• Teri Hendricks – backing vocals (track 7)
• The Never Beens – backing vocals (track 7)
• Tim Jenkins – backing vocals (track 7)
• Torey Harding – backing vocals (track 7)
• William Clay – backing vocals (track 7)
• Colton Swon – backing vocals (track 9)
• Zach Swon – backing vocals (track 9)
• Larry Franklin – fiddle (track 10)
• Seth Taylor – acoustic guitar (track 12)
• Blair Whitlow – backing vocals (track 12)
• Brandon Winbush – backing vocals (track 12)
• Robert Bailey – backing vocals (track 12)
• Vicki Hampton – backing vocals (track 12)
• Wendy Moten – backing vocals (track 12)
• Mike Brignardello – bass (track 12)
• John Anderson – lead vocals (track 12)
• Russ Pahl – steel guitar (track 12)

Technical

• Scott Hendricks – production, engineering
• Andrew Mendelson – mastering
• Justin Niebank – mixing (tracks 1, 2, 4–6, 8, 9, 11, 12), engineering (all tracks)
• Jeff Juliano – mixing (track 3)
• Matt McClure – mixing (tracks 7, 10)
• Brian David Willis – engineering (tracks 1–4, 6, 7, 9–12), editing (1, 3–5, 7, 9, 10)
• Sam Bergeson – engineering (tracks 1–5, 7–10), additional mixing (1)
• Sam Ellis – engineering (track 1)
• Joey Stanca – engineering (track 2)
• Sean Badum – engineering (tracks 6, 11), engineering assistance (4)
• Clarke Schleicher – engineering (tracks 6, 11)
• Kelsey Porter – engineering (tracks 6, 11)
• Zach Swon – engineering (track 9)
• Terry Watson – engineering (track 12), engineering assistance (4)
• Jacob Spitzer – engineering (track 12)
• Drew Bollman – additional mixing (tracks 2–12)
• Shannon Finnegan – production assistance (track 2)
• Nate Juliano – mixing assistance (track 3)
• Caroline Whitaker – engineering assistance (track 4)

Charts

Chart performance for For Recreational Use Only

Chart (2025)	Peak position
Australian Country Albums (ARIA)[16]	33
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[17]	49
UK Country Albums (OCC)[18]	2
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[19]	38
US Billboard 200[20]	46
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[21]	8
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[22]	8

References

1. "Blake Shelton Was Burnt Out After The Voice. Then This Unexpected Celebrity 'Lit a Fire Under' Him (Exclusive)". People.com. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
2. Daykin, James (March 14, 2025). "Blake Shelton announces new album 'For Recreational Use Only'". Entertainment Focus. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
3. Kaufman, Gil. "Blake Shelton Prepping 'Texas' Single: 'It Feels Really Important To Me'". billboard.com. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
4. "Blake Shelton Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
5. Phelan, Chris (April 7, 2025). "Blake Shelton's New Project Is Unlike Anything He's Done: "I Absolutely Was Honored"". NBC. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
6. Wong, Debby. "Blake Shelton shares 'Stay Country or Die Tryin' from new album". KFDI.com. Country 101.3 KFDI. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
7. Watts, Cindy (March 21, 2025). "Blake Shelton's Deeply Emotional New Song Triggers Label Executive's Heart Attack (Exclusive)". American Songwriter. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
8. "Country Aircheck Weekly May 5, 2025, Issue 959" (PDF). Country Aircheck. May 5, 2025. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
9. "Shelton will "Stay Country or Die Tryin'"". www.countrystandardtime.com. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
10. "Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani – Hangin' On – Single". Apple Music (US). May 8, 2025. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
11. Yeung, Neil Z. ""For Recreational Use Only" Review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
12. Daykin, James. "Review: Blake Shelton 'For Recreational Use Only' New Album". Entertainment Focus. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
13. Patton, Alli. "Blake Shelton - For Recreational Use Only". Holler Country. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
14. Sherman, Maria (May 9, 2025). "Music Review: Blake Shelton returns to his roots with 'For Recreational Use Only'". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
15. "For Recreational Use Only / Blake Shelton / Credits". Tidal. May 9, 2025. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
16. "ARIA Top 40 Country Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. May 19, 2025. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
17. "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
18. "Official Country Artists Albums Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
19. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
20. "Blake Shelton Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
21. "Blake Shelton Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
22. "Blake Shelton Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2025.