For Recreational Use Only
2025 studio album by Blake Shelton
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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.
| For Recreational Use Only | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 9, 2025 | |||
| Recorded | 2024–2025 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 39:56 | |||
| Label | Wheelhouse | |||
| Producer | Scott Hendricks | |||
| Blake Shelton chronology | ||||
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| Singles from For Recreational Use Only | ||||
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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] On February 19, 2026, "Let Him In Anyway" was released as the album's third single.[11]
Critical reception
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Stay Country or Die Tryin'" |
| 3:41 |
| 2. | "Texas" |
| 2:49 |
| 3. | "Hangin' On" (featuring Gwen Stefani) |
| 3:26 |
| 4. | "Strangers" | 3:21 | |
| 5. | "Let Him In Anyway" |
| 3:17 |
| 6. | "Heaven Sweet Home" (featuring Craig Morgan) |
| 3:41 |
| 7. | "Life's Been Coming Too Fast" |
| 3:10 |
| 8. | "Don't Mississippi" | 3:07 | |
| 9. | "All of My Love" | 3:39 | |
| 10. | "Cold Can" |
| 3:06 |
| 11. | "The Keys" |
| 2:51 |
| 12. | "Years" (featuring John Anderson) |
| 3:48 |
Personnel
Credits adapted from Tidal.[16]
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 (2025) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Country Albums (ARIA)[17] | 33 |
| UK Album Downloads (OCC)[18] | 49 |
| UK Country Albums (OCC)[19] | 2 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[20] | 38 |
| US Billboard 200[21] | 46 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[22] | 8 |
| US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[23] | 8 |