Country's funniest guy, Blake Shelton, just premiered his new video "Hillbilly Bone" here at Yahoo! Music. Fans can rest assured that this video (featuring Blake's good bud Trace Adkins) is pure Blake at his best--raw, goofy, tongue-in-cheek, giggle-out-loud humor.
I started busting up about the moment Blake and Trace entered the fancy restaurant, and kept chuckling throughout (watch the clip and you'll get it). Plus, I've gotta say, "Hillbilly Bone" is a classic kick-butt true-country anthem, to boot.
I took the opportunity of this video premiere to hop on the phone with Blake, and chat with him about it, as well as what's going on in his life and career these days. Gotta say--he's just like you'd imagine from reading his crazy Twitter account. Real, humorous, down-to-earth, and fun to talk to.
When asked why Trace was chosen to duet with him on the new single, Blake noted, "Mostly just because it sounds like a Trace Adkins song. When I heard it, I thought, why didn't Trace get his hands on it first?"
He added, however, "I feel like he's really a friend. And when all this is over, we'll still be friends."
Blake's working on a full new album, which he says will likely be released around March 2010, and consists of "All music like 'Hillbilly Bone,'" he explains. "It's by far the funnest album I've ever done--I'm not holding back anymore, it's full of attitude. Not bad attitude, just a redneck guy talking about stuff!"
So, as we all know, there seems to be two different Blakes presented to the public eye. One--the jokester Blake. The other? The guy who recently made the cover of Country Weekly's Sexiest Star issue. Which is the real Blake?
"The 'sexy' thing just shows how ugly men in country music are in general," he joked. "It has to be my personality--I think I'm a pretty average-looking guy. I don't take myself seriously. In fact I don't take myself serious enough, probably.
"In the past six to eight months, people are starting to figure out who I really am. If you don't like it, kiss my ass!"
The timeframe he references coincides roughly with his rise of activity on Twitter, where he's established a personality as probably Nashville's nuttiest (and often semi-offensive, albeit hysterical) tweeter.
Blake acknowledges the fun he's having online--"I'm having a ball with it."
All fine and well. But--how does his girlfriend, equally stellar Nashville star Miranda Lambert, feel about all this?
"Miranda stopped following me [on Twitter] because I was pissing her off with all the things I was saying," he admits. "She said, you're just gross."
However, "I think she's back. I can't imagine her taking her eye off me for a minute!"
So, back to the "Hillbilly Bone" video. I asked Trace Adkins to chime in on his thoughts about dueting with Blake. Trace noted most respectfully, "Blake and I have been great friends for a long time now. He is hands-down one of the funniest guys I know, so doing this song and video with him was really a no-brainer."
Blake's comment in return?
"I would like Trace to acknowledge how much better looking I am than him in the video. So much better looking, in fact, that I make him almost seem disgusting.
"I want you to use those exact words--I make Trace Adkins seem almost disgusting."
We dig you, Blake. Stay gold!
Here's the video for "Hillbilly Bone," which you can see first on Yahoo! Music. Enjoy, and be sure to let us know what you think!
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