Blake Shelton is the self-titled debut album by American
country music artist
Blake Shelton. It was released in 2001 on
Giant Records. The album features his debut single "Austin", as well as the singles "All Over Me" and "Ol' Red". It has been certified
gold by the
RIAA.
Content
"Austin" was the lead-off single from the album. This song reached Number One on the
Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now
Hot Country Songs) charts that year. Although Shelton has since charted five more Number Ones, "Austin" is his longest-lasting Number One hit, at five weeks. Following this song was "All Over Me", which reached #18 on the country charts, and "Ol' Red", which peaked at number 14. The latter was originally recorded by
George Jones on his 1990 album
You Oughta Be Here with Me, and by
Kenny Rogers on his 1993 album
If Only My Heart Had a Voice. Due to the closure of Giant Records in 2001, Shelton was transferred to the Nashville division of Giant's parent label,
Warner Bros. Records, which promoted and distributed the second and third singles.
Critical reception
Maria Konicki Dinoia of
Allmusic rated the album four stars out of five, saying, "This impressive ten-song compilation is an earnest debut full of lots of promise and originality" and citing the presence of
Bobby Braddock cowrites.
Track listing