Emily Ann Roberts Reflects on Blake Shelton’s Advice That Changed Her Career

Fans first met a young Emily Ann Roberts on The Voice, where she finished Season 9 as runner-up. Since then, she has blossomed into a standout artist with deep roots in classic country and bluegrass, carving out a massive following on social media along the way. Her journey, which is still unfolding, is nothing short of inspiring.

While on the popular NBC competition show, Roberts received invaluable advice from her coach-turned-friend (and later tourmate), Blake Shelton. During a recent appearance on Southern Living’s Biscuits & Jam podcast, she reflected on his wise words, revealing that Shelton inspired her to stay true to herself, no matter what.

“When I was on the show, I sang a lot of traditional country music because that’s what I love… And Blake pulled me aside and was like, ‘Don’t let anybody change you. You know, the music that you make and what comes out of you naturally, that’s what you have to follow, and that’s what you have to honor,’” she recalled. “And that meant so much to me to have someone as successful as he is tell me to stay true to myself, you know, just the way that I am.”

Roberts says she has carried Shelton’s words of wisdom with her and continues to lean any time she’s tempted to stray from her roots.

“That was something that I pulled from for years when I got to Nashville because the music that I wrote didn’t sound like what Kelsea Ballerini was doing and what Maren Morris was doing. They were, like, huge at the time when I was in town for the first time. And so it was really tough because I had a lot of opinions and voices telling me like, ‘You need to sound more like this in order to be competitive,’ and all that. But it’s very cool how it seems like, 10 years later, things have come back around,” she explained. 

The East Tennessee native has since toured with Shelton on multiple occasions — including his Friends & Heroes Tour, making for a full-circle moment for the former Voice contestant.

With Shelton’s word still in the back of her mind, Roberts continues to stay on her path, never shying away from her true identity as an artist. Her debut album, Can’t Hide Country, was infused with traditional country and bluegrass roots, and her latest releases, “Scratching Out A Living,” “Easy Does It,” and “The Fence” continue to reflect her authentic style.