Blake Shelton Duets with Former ‘The Voice’ Contestant Ian Flanigan on ‘Grow Up’

Flanigan says working with Shelton was an “absolute pleasure.”

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

May 14, 2021

8:29 am

Blake Shelton, Ian Flanigan

After landing a spot in the Top 3 on Season 19 of The Voice, Ian Flanigan is back with his debut single for Reviver Records. The track, dubbed “Grow Up,” features a very special guest: his The Voice coach, Blake Shelton.

Co-written by famed Nashville tunesmiths Jon Nite, Chase McGill and Jessie Jo Dillon, “Grow Up” is all about living life in the moment.

“They say we never gonna grow/ Well they might be right/ ‘Cause we’re loud, we’re alive/ And tonight we’re raisin’ something cold up/ We thought we would one day/ But hey we aint ’cause one day still ain’t showed up/ Guess we ‘re never gonna grow up,” goes the chorus.

Shelton harmonizes with Flanigan throughout the track. The newly engaged singer and father of one opened up to Music Mayhem about the chance to work with Shelton and revealed how the collab came about.

“We reached out to see if he had any interest, and he did,” Flanigan explained. “Blake has a history of helping previous contestants from the show and I’m so grateful for his generosity and that the timing worked out for us to do this.”

He called the opportunity to work with Shelton an “absolute pleasure.”

“I’m a huge fan of his music and him as a person,” Flanigan shared. “He’s great to hang with, and a real pro in the studio.”

Click above to listen to Flanigan’s “Grow Up” featuring Blake Shelton.

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.