Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!

Follow Us

Austin by Blake Shelton Moves Listeners With Its Backstory

Austin by Blake Shelton
by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

A tale of lost love is what makes Austin, by Blake Shelton, appealing to listeners, especially with the female demographic. In all, this song is the first among Blake Shelton songs and also established his music style.

Austin’s Backstory

Originally released on the Giant Records label, Kristi Manna and David Kent wrote the song while Blake Shelton recorded it in 2001. Austin is included in Shelton’s self-titled debut album and is known to also be the country singer’s debut single. The song was doing great on the air, so Shelton was surprised that the label suddenly closed its doors as the single is making waves on the charts. This event prompted the country star to transfer to another big recording company Warner Bros. Records label. It’s a good thing his team was quick on the process, and so Austin’s rising chart performance wasn’t affected.

Moreover, the song tells a touching story of a woman who’s trying to reconnect with her long-lost love. She left because she wants to clear her mind but didn’t leave a number for her lover. He figured she’d gone back to Austin as she talked about it all the time when they’re together. 

One year had passed when she suddenly called him up, and every time she did, she only got a hold of the answering machine, however, in different versions. It seems like the man was waiting for her call for the longest time. His answering machine is all about the answers to her potential questions or his whereabouts. And surprisingly enough, the romantic excitement can be heard at the ending, where the man tells the woman that he still loves her.

Austin’s Charts and Commercial Success

Blake Shelton did well with his track Austin and was evident on its chart performance. It spent five weeks on the number one spot on the US Billboard Hot Country Song Charts

Meanwhile, it has achieved a crossover to US Billboard  Hot 100, which makes it a pop hit. It was recognized as his highest-peaking single until 2011 when the country star released his single “Honey Bee” which debuted at number 13. The song became certified platinum 13 years after its release. It sold about 929,000 copies in the US in 2016.

You can watch the official music video of Austin by Blake Shelton below.

Latest Stories

Country legend George Jones plays guitar under spotlight, embodying the raw heartbreak behind these 12 most depressing country songs.

These 12 Depressing Country Songs Will Have You Sobbing and Hitting Repeat All Night

Straight from the depths of Reddit’s country corner, here’s a list built by real fans who know heartbreak better than any Nashville hit machine ever could. These songs weren’t picked ...

Jimmy Swaggart preaching passionately in an undated photo, remembered now after his death at 90 from a heart attack.

Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart Dies at 90 Just Weeks After Suffering a Massive Heart Attack

There’s a hush across Pentecostal churches this week as believers remember Jimmy Swaggart, the firebrand evangelist, gospel singer, and TV preacher who spent decades filling stadiums, living rooms, and airwaves ...

Gavin Adcock onstage raising a whiskey bottle while blasting Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ as “not real country music.”

Viral Country Star Gavin Adcock Slams Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Says ‘That S— Ain’t Country Music’

Some headlines feel like a parody of the country music circus these days, and this is one of them. Gavin Adcock, the beer-slinging viral star who built half his brand ...

George Strait beams onstage at Patriots Stadium, guitar in hand, as he brings Texas charm with “All My Ex’s Live in Texas.”

George Strait Brings Lone Star Magic to Patriots Stadium With “All My Ex’s Live in Texas”

Some legends don’t need confetti cannons or stadium-shaking pyros. They just need a guitar, a baritone voice, and a song about every ex they ever outran in a pickup truck. ...

Beyoncé points at her Buffalo Soldiers shirt during her Cowboy Carter tour, the shirt that sparked backlash for its wording.

Beyoncé Under Fire for Wearing Shirt That Calls Native Americans “Enemies of Peace”

Some controversy doesn’t fade with the stage lights. Just ask Beyoncé. The Houston-born superstar is facing backlash after wearing a T-shirt during her Cowboy Carter tour in Paris that some ...

Miranda Lambert plays guitar in a cozy bedroom, the perfect moment that shows how she made “The House That Built Me” a classic.

Blake Shelton Was Supposed to Sing “The House That Built Me” Then Miranda Lambert Made It a Classic

Sometimes, the best country songs don’t just find a voice. They rip your chest open and remind you why Nashville can still surprise the hell out of you. Back in ...

Kellie Pickler with her late husband Kyle Jacobs, whose parents now call her “callous” in their feud over his estate and home.

Kellie Pickler’s In-Laws Brand Her “Callous” for Blocking Them From Late Son’s Home

Country music knows heartbreak, but sometimes it hits hardest when the lights are out, and the lawyers start circling. Just ask Kellie Pickler, now knee-deep in a brutal court fight ...

John Schneider’s ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ tribute honors Rick Hurst, pictured here as Deputy Cletus Hogg with the cast smiling.

‘Dukes of Hazzard’ Star John Schneider Honors Rick Hurst With Heartbreaking Tribute

Sometimes, the characters you remember best weren’t the heroes behind the wheel but the guys you’d see rolling their eyes and shaking their heads when the dust settled. Rick Hurst ...

Taylor Swift smiles while strumming a guitar onstage in Nashville, sparking rumors about a possible country music return.

Taylor Swift Crashes Kane Brown’s Nashville Set and Now Everyone’s Wondering if She’s Going Country Again

Taylor Swift showed up in Nashville like a pop comet trying to burn her way back into country music’s atmosphere. It all went down at Tight End University’s charity concert ...

Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton burst into laughter during a playful, no-holds-barred roast session on her talk show set.

Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton Bicker Like Siblings in a New Interview and It’s TV Gold

Two country megastars walk into a studio. One has 30 number ones and a new album, while the other is hosting the show but not having it. Cue the fireworks. ...