Billboard (Aug. 8th 2009)

Shelton’s ‘Fire’ Keeps On Burning

Blake Shelton is still promoting his album "Startin' Fires," which is barely 8 months old and two singles deep. But the country singer has also been in the studio with producer Scott Hendricks, working on what will become his sixth studio album, set for release in 2010.

"That's normally how I make records, over the course of a year-and-a-half or so," says Shelton, who also co-wrote some songs for girlfriend Miranda Lambert's new album, "Revolution," which is due Sept. 29. "I'll go in when I can and record songs that I'm excited about right then, and then when it's time to have a new album we're almost ready every time, which takes a lot of pressure off me."

Shelton says he's cut five songs so far, and "every damn one of them" is worth talking about. "They're all hits to me," he says, "but you never know. It's really a work in progress."

Shelton is happy to be working again with Hendricks, who was a new face on his production team for "Startin' Fires."

"I've gotten to know him over the last couple of years, and we're both from Oklahoma," Shelton says. "We've got a lot in common. Our personalities really match up good. And he's a guy who knows every trick in the book to make a great-sounding record. He'll listen to my ideas and put them on a record and has the ability to make them work."