Blake Shelton Reveals His Label Scrapped ‘I Wanna Talk About Me’ Before Toby Keith Took It To No. 1
“…we recorded the song and it was going to be on my album,” Shelton shared.
Blake Shelton; Photo by Jamie Wendt
Before it became a smash hit for Toby Keith, “I Wanna Talk About Me” was almost a Blake Shelton single. Shelton shared the story about the track and what could have been during an appearance on The Bobby Bones Show.
In 2001, Toby Keith dropped “I Wanna Talk About Me” as the second single from his Pull My Chain album. Its spoken-word style made it stand out from everything else on country radio at the time, with many labeling it as “country rap.”
The chorus goes: “I wanna talk about me, wanna talk about i/ Wanna talk about number one, oh my, me my/ What I think, what I like, what I know, what I want, what I see/ I like talking about you, you, you, you usually/ But occasionally, I wanna talk about me (me, me, me, me)/ I wanna talk about me (me, me).”
Despite the song’s style, it climbed all the way to the top of the charts. What many don’t know is that Shelton actually recorded it first. But after a focus group rejected it, Shelton’s label pulled the plug, and he missed out on what could’ve been massive career success.
“Bobby Braddock wrote the song for me because I used to go into the studio when we were working on my first album, and I would always have these stupid raps that I would make up about whatever that day. And Bobby said, ‘oh, you want to sing a rap song? I wrote you a rap,” Shelton recalled to Bones.
“And so we recorded the song and it was going to be on my album. And at the time, I was on Giant Records and they did some of those focus group testing things about that stuff, Bobby. And it was like they wanted to play four or five songs for these groups. And the testing came back that on, ‘I Want To Talk About Me,’ It was so terrible that they said, ‘Not only do we not want this to be a single, but we don’t even think you should put it on your album. It’s that horrifying of a song.’ And then of course Toby recorded it and I think had a two month number one record on it.”
This situation proved that focus groups don’t always work.
“Those focus groups really nail it,” Shelton quipped.
Blake Shelton’s appearance on The Bobby Bones Show was in support of his just-announced 2026 Las Vegas residency, which will take place at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, with eight performances scheduled from January 15 through 31, 2026. Shelton previously performed at the venue earlier this year and said he’s excited to return.
“It holds maybe three or 4,000 people..But I loved it for that reason because it is more of an intimate performance by the end of the night,” Shelton explained. “I mean, I literally recognize people in the audience. It’s like you’ve been singing to ’em all night, which couple’s in a fight and who’s already drunk.. and you’re that close to ’em and a lot of actual conversations and things end up happening from the stage, which you can never do in an arena or at a festival or something. So for that reason, it’s been one of my favorite experiences as an entertainer that I’ve had in a long time since back in the day of playing a small acoustic show or something where you’re really that intimate and you can tell stories and people listen and respond.”
Tickets for Blake Shelton: Live in Las Vegas at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace go on sale to the public on Thursday, Aug. 28 at 10 a.m. PT at Ticketmaster.com/BlakeSheltonVegas.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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