Blake Shelton Brings ‘Come Back as a Country Boy’ to the 2021 CMA Awards
Blake Shelton came back to the CMA Awards in 2021 with his newest single, "Come Back as a Country Boy." The singer and The Voice coach performed during the annual awards show on Wednesday night (Nov. 10).
Following a rather comedic intro from CMA Awards host Luke Bryan, Shelton emerged from the shadows to tear into the powerful song as the clouds swirled around him. Donning an understated black jean jacket, Shelton's vocals were on point, seemingly proving to everyone in attendance that he remains a legend in the genre.
Making the performance even sweeter was the accompaniment of Jenee Fleenor, who earlier in the evening was named CMA Musician of the Year. Fans may recall that Fleenor was forced to drop out of the live awards show last year after she was diagnosed with COVID-19.
Hardy, Josh Thompson and Jordan Schmidt co-wrote "Come Back as a Country Boy," which is Shelton's latest single from the deluxe version of his Body Language album. It's due out on Dec. 3 — just over six months after the release of the original version of the album — and features collaborations with Hardy and Brooks & Dunn, plus one other new song in addition to his single.
The Country Music Association held the 2021 CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville. The show, hosted for the first time by Luke Bryan, returned to the venue — its home since 2006 — after one year at Music City Center due to the COVID-19 pandemic.