HARDY Reacts to Blake Shelton Calling Him A ‘Brilliant’ Songwriter

HARDY has built a wildly successful songwriting career, and even with his success as a solo artist continuing to soar, that part of his identity still sits at the core of everything he does. So when Blake Shelton recently praised his talent in the songwriting department, HARDY was quick to admit how much that means to him.

As one of Nashville’s most sought-after songwriters, HARDY has penned hits for Florida Georgia Line, Chris Lane, Cole Swindell, Morgan Wallen, and so many more. Even with such an impressive resume, hearing Blake Shelton call him “brilliant” hit differently. During an interview with Audacy’s Katie Neal, the Mississippi native watched a clip of Shelton gushing over his next single “Let Him In Anyway,” which HARDY penned alongside Zach Abend, Kyle Clark and Carson Wallace.

Shelton explained that track off 2025’s For Recreational Use Only album struck him in a way very few ever have, comparing its emotional weight to his 2002 hit “The Baby,” which he still describes as a “punch to the gut” for its powerful storytelling.

“I mean, ‘Let Him In Anyway’ is just, it is hard to find songs that haven’t been written already at this point. And that song, to me, comes in a way that I’ve never heard anyone say it like that before,” Shelton shared.

He continued to boast about HARDY’s undeniable talent to create unique stories, making it clear his respect runs deep.

“I mean, the guy is just brilliant, I think,” Shelton continued. “And he’s been really good to me, and I think we’ve been an important part of other’s journey. He certainly doesn’t need me anymore. And the fact that he sent this song over to me and let go of it means a lot to me. Really does.”

In turn, the “Bottomland” singer echoed that sentiment, reflecting on just how much Shelton has influenced him over the years and how much it means to now have him in his corner.

“Blake is a huge influence of mine when it comes to, well, really a lot of stuff. I mean, he has such a wide spectrum of personalities, kind of similar to me. It’s like you can have a song like ‘Hillbilly Bone’ and a year later have a song ‘Mine Would Be You.’ And that was always really inspiring to me that he could pull off so many different things,” he explained. “And so I’m a huge, massive Blake fan. And then getting to know him and know how kind and cool and normal he is. I love it, man. I want Blake Shelton singles till I die.”

HARDY was also quick to point out that Shelton saying he doesn’t need him anymore is simply “crazy.” And the truth is, no matter how much he excels in his artist career, songwriting will always be a passion that continues to drive him.

“I remember I sent Dierks [Bentley] a song not too long ago, and he called me an idiot. And I was like, ‘what?’ He was like, ‘dude, you’re one of the biggest artists in town. Why are you pitching me songs?’ And I’m like, ‘dude, I’m a songwriter.’ I will always have that grind in me.”

While HARDY has yet to confirm when his next new music will arrive, he did hint that a wave of songs he had a hand in writing could be on the way. The hitmaker teased that he may have “four or five” cuts dropping around the same time. He kept the names of the artists behind the unreleased tracks under wraps, though he did reveal that one belongs to a female artist and another will likely be his own.

“I can’t talk about anything else,” he said, cryptically.

The timing couldn’t be better, as HARDY is fresh off another major career milestone. His latest single, “Favorite Country Song,” has reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Country Airplay and Mediabase Country charts, marking his fifth No. 1 as an artist and 16th as a songwriter.

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Something special also seems to be in the works as HARDY, Tim McGraw, Morgan Wallen, and Eric Church each posted a similar cover-style image featuring different names and dates to their Instagram accounts on Monday (Jan. 26). Fans are now speculating that a collaboration of some kind could be on the horizon.

Adding to the excitement, HARDY is also gearing up to launch his COUNTRY! COUNTRY! TOUR for 2026. The trek kicks off next month and will run through August.