Who says he isn't both?

Pretty much everyone knows his name, which makes him a superstar and from what I have heard of his music he's also a country hack.

That said, what little I have watched of The Voice, he seems like a pretty decent guy and is pretty funny.

He's in it for the money. todays country is written by 22 year olds for the 12-25 year old country fan, is it dumbed down? yeah, is it contrived, hell yeah, does it make mr shelton millions????? you bet.

Where is the "like" button when I need it?

Hahaha

WarEagleRK beat me to the punch. The answer to the thread title is clearly both.

[Soapbox: Which is, of course, for a lot of us, the problem. Or a problem. Or at least just feels ugly. About corporate music. We all have our subjective picks about which superstars (if superstar is now defined as "making a shit ton of money") actually do contribute anything musically, but... doesn't everyone pretty much agree that superstars are, by and large, hacks?]

If you have not seen it yet, the Nashville episode of Sonic Highways does an excellent job of describing the current state of country music and the formula that is used to pump out these so-called "hits."

I think Blake is an arrogant, loud-mouth with little talent. He has shown little respect for the real country artists of old. He is the new Nashville. When they do get a good country artist like Lee Ann Womack, they slick them up until there is no country authenticity left. He is a hack and superstar only means money!

This is just another instance of basic pre-fab POP music. Genre (when there is one that is distinguishable) doesn't matter.

No offense to this guy or his fans, but he has more to do with the Beibers and Britneys of the world of music. Build it and they will come - video killed the radio star and all that.

I honestly think you could take anybody with the slightest amount of musical talent that happened to have a pretty face or a$$ and cram them down people's psyches via TV and internet and make them a "superstar". If a store only sold white bread, they'd sell a lot of white bread. If they were to throw in some rye, wheat and bagels - they'd probably sell some of those, too.

What sucks about this is that there are true musical artists - some of them bona fide geniuses, who will only be heard by a handful of loyal followers in their lives. There are people like Randall Bramblett who write and perform amazing songs but don't fit into any pre-conceived genre or bin. Col Bruce Hampton is an amazing composer and performer who is known more often for a cameo role in a popular movie than for his music. Then, there are the Kanyes and the Kardashians who are raking in money by the truckloads for doing ... whatever it is that they do, while true performing, composing MUSICIANS often go without medical insurance or a home of their own.

There was a popular truism several years ago about the genre called "R&B": it ain't got rhythm and it sure as hell ain't the blues! Mainstream, modern "Country and Western"? It ain't country ... period!

I'm not a fan of his music, but he is entertaining on the Voice. He's got a good sense of humor. I read a comment before where he was defensive about new Nashville and seemed disrespectful of the classics, but that doesn't come across at all on the Voice, which is an entertaining show....particularly the blind auditions.

There is some serious talent on the show this season.

I saw him perform that "chew tobacco" song on television... maybe Saturday Night Live, and I laughed, got a little kick out of it. But then he did another song and it seemed pretty much the same with different lyrics.

He's got a formula that works. If that is all his audience wants out of the music they listen to - good for them. More tickets for me at shows I like.

Another vote for "both." He is pretty clearly a superstar, and pretty clearly a hack. In fact, his hackness actually facilitates his superstardom.

Even so, this whole thing needs a little explanation apparently....

Chew tobacco
Chew tobacco
Chew tobacco
Spit!

This is an ancient schoolyard meme in the South that was probably old before Blake Shelton was born.

Is it hackery to include such a cliche in a song? Of course it is, but at least he didn't write it.

I was at a festival to see Gary Clarke Jr & he was great..but while leavimng the other headliner was playing-Sheldon,& I stopped for 4-5 songs..just to see what he's about..& he's definitely Superstar material.The audience was mesmerized & I really enjoyed him.He so genuinly enjoyed the audience & fed off them & gave back.I was impressed & am not a country fan,per say. B ut he is 1 of those 'bigger than life' performers..believe it or not!

Who says he isn't both?

Pretty much everyone knows his name, which makes him a superstar and from what I have heard of his music he's also a country hack.

That said, what little I have watched of The Voice, he seems like a pretty decent guy and is pretty funny.

pretty decent guy...have you ever heard his song where he sings about beating up gays...wow what a rolemodel...typical southern white trash

pretty decent guy...have you ever heard his song where he sings about beating up gays...wow what a rolemodel...typical southern white trash

Is Oklahoma the south? Why can't he just be "trash" without the southern or white?

I guess I should just be glad you didn't say "redneck"-- the only socially acceptable racial epithet these days.

I looked it up....he had a tweet that people were offended by where he re-wrote a line from a Shania Twain song saying wtf "if a guy grabbed my butt they'd get a beating and be bleeding and heaving" as a joke.

People jumped on him saying it was homophobic. He apologized and said the joke was was supposed to be from Shania's point of view (that she was a bad-a and that's how she should sing it). The gay rights group jumping on him seemed to accept the apology and his explanation.

I doubted he had an actual song about beating up gays......unless there is something else I missed on google.

Here is an example of what everyone hates about modern country. Six songs that all sound alike played together.

pretty decent guy...have you ever heard his song where he sings about beating up gays...wow what a rolemodel...typical southern white trash

Never heard the song and from my extensive research of reading above apparently there wasn't a song at all, just a tweet.

[Edited on 2/26/2015 by WarEagleRK]

I ain't crazy about him but he does have a few tunes I like.
His wife (Miranda Lambert) is the real deal, so he gets some points there.
He's been on the scene longer than many people realize.
He used to never be seen without a cowboy hat & mullet combo.
His good fortunes started when he ditched it.

Here is an example of what everyone hates about modern country. Six songs that all sound alike played together.

That was a great video and pretty much says it all.

Not that anyone is arguing this point, but let's add up all the money members here spend on seeing the Allman Brothers Band, add in all associated family bands, Mule, TTB, etc, add in all the money all those bands make in any given year from touring, CD sales whatever - add all that up.

Now compare with whatever Blake Shelton makes.

I don't have links or up to date figures, but one website said he is worth $50 million and got $12 million in 2013, for just The Voice.

I know none of that equates to his being a good musician or not, but I have always admired these superstars that are able to capitalize on their celebrity and make good, Madonna, Lady Gaga, on and on.

I don't like their music, but it is not required for me to like them or buy their crap. They are doing just fine without me and you for that matter. 😉

To the OP:
I think he is both. He is very talented country singer and knows how market himself and his music.
I'm not a country music fan but he has a great voice, seems pretty genuine.

"Bro" modern country is horrible despite how popular it is. That mashup kind of proves the case.

And going back to Blake, he makes awful musical choices (or has awful taste) that the masses seem to love, but the guy has a very good voice.

Most of these "bro country" bands can actually play and sing quite well. It just seems the Nashville machine has a set formula and you better follow it if you want to get paid. The end result sounds like Sammy Hagar era Van Halen with a cowboy hat on.

Check out Sturgill Simpson. He's the real deal.

He really operates outside of "the machine" and all his hard work and non stop playing seems to be paying off.

A few years ago Eric Church was being marketed as the anti nashville guy but to me it was all marketing. That guy seems as Bro country as it gets. But thought he did a good job at both the Levon and Gregg tribute shows. My cynical side guesses that Don Was has a financial stake in him since he direct those kind of shows and Church always seems to be there

Interesting that there was just a thread about Bobby Bare, one of the classic country artists with a great sense of humor (with help from Shel Silverstein). I really have never heard any of Shelton's tunes and only know him as a personality on The Voice. But most country artists since 1985 are as pre-packaged as any pop star (Brantley Gilbert, Eric Church, and Trace Adkins all wasted precious time and air at Gregg's tribute concert). If the guy has one dumb song about tobacco spit, he is singing to his audience and having fun I suppose. Not every song needs to be an evocative poem. Take these really dumb, clunky lyrics for instance:

Theres no harm done, I know you're the one
You don't got to worry, no hurry.
The night's still young,
I'm just looking for some good clean fun.

And this lyric that just keeps on giving:

"Oh you're lost baby, and I ain't funnin'."

Here is an example of what everyone hates about modern country. Six songs that all sound alike played together.

damn after listening to that I think i had a stroke
Anyway I once saw a t shirt at a show that said in a perfect world Steve Earle would be running Nashville.......so true

Blake was on SNL and joined in on this parody of modern country. Pretty good:

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/wishin-boot/2842428

Some of today's Country has more rock and guitar solos to it then what is sold as rock.

The thing is he has fans and lots of them and they just like different songs then you do. All that matters with music is whether or not your ears like it. Easy to say It Sucks but that doesn't make it true. Mt Jam is absolute pain for some people.

Another benefit for fans is at least these artists tour. Benefit for guys is all the ladies at the shows. Nice change compared to 90% male crowds full of smelly guys. It is all about having fun. If you don't like it then who cares? Just don't go or listen.

As for lyrics, there are plenty of pretty stupid rocks lyrics too.

I am not a country fan really but most of these guys are better and have worked harder than some give them credit for. Also Nashville is a music haven for all sorts of music and incredible talent is drawn there. Some smoking guitarists and bands. All music styles have a formula even the ABB.

It's just pop music with a little twang. The majority if it is marketing and getting the right songwriters to plug out songs for whoever it is that the label sees as the next star. It's not like they are selecting songs they love to cover on an album, it's a team of writers knowing what is going to be a hit supplying it and a marketing team getting the right clothes and image on the right person.

It's a machine just like a lot of pop music has been over the years, it's just taken over Nashville.

Sure, that's not everyone in modern country, but it is a huge part of what makes some of them very successful. It's just not real. It's gone on for ages in music, that's what makes the ones who break that mold special.

It's not unlike the story of what Gregg and Duane were going through in Hour Glass in the late 60's.

[Edited on 3/1/2015 by WarEagleRK]

Sure, that's not everyone in modern country, but it is a huge part of what makes some of them very successful. It's just not real. It's gone on for ages in music, that's what makes the ones who break that mold special.

It's not unlike the story of what Gregg and Duane were going through in Hour Glass in the late 60's.

I never thought of it, but the Hour Glass comparison really rings true. Kudos to Duane and Gregg for seeing through that BS and sticking to their guns musically. As Kim Payne has said, "We lived on hot dogs and peanut butter for 1-1/2 years."

Some of today's Country has more rock and guitar solos to it then what is sold as rock.

The thing is he has fans and lots of them and they just like different songs then you do. All that matters with music is whether or not your ears like it. Easy to say It Sucks but that doesn't make it true. Mt Jam is absolute pain for some people.

Another benefit for fans is at least these artists tour. Benefit for guys is all the ladies at the shows. Nice change compared to 90% male crowds full of smelly guys. It is all about having fun. If you don't like it then who cares? Just don't go or listen.

As for lyrics, there are plenty of pretty stupid rocks lyrics too.

I am not a country fan really but most of these guys are better and have worked harder than some give them credit for. Also Nashville is a music haven for all sorts of music and incredible talent is drawn there. Some smoking guitarists and bands. All music styles have a formula even the ABB.

You make some great points.

For the past 5 - 10 years, I've pointed out that some of the BEST playing (especially guitar) is in Nashville and on these poppy, twangy ... contrived songs. My former boss was a big-time pop-country fan and he and I did a lot of cross-country driving together. He would usually tune in local radio or plug in his MP3 player and pick the tunes. I found that I actually liked and appreciated a lot of this music from the intro ... up to the point where the vocal came in. Just some of the most inane lyrics - usually sung by some gal with an American Idol voice (I swear, I can detect one of these TV talent show voices in a nano-second!) or by some guy who sounds like he's got a wad of Skoal wedged between his front teeth and gums.

Here's a semi-funny side story. My dear friend Linda (the Human Jukebox) is a fan of many types of music, including modern pop country. We were all at a pickin' party one day and I was making jokes about the overall inanity of the genre. As a joke - as an absolute freakin' joke, I started strumming a chord and ad-libbing something about a truck or a tractor with something else about beer or honky tonks thrown in. I'm no comedian or anything, but I was waiting for a little bit of polite laughter. I looked over at Linda who informed me that I had just quoted some current modern C&W pop hit almost verbatim. And I was joking my ass off!