The country superstar — whose new album ‘For Recreational Use Only’ drops May 9 — opens up in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE

Blake Shelton.Credit : Robby Klein

Blake Shelton is the first to admit he was entirely burned out when he left The Voice in May 2023 after 23 seasons.

“It took about a year before I even was open to the idea of, ‘What’s next?'” the country superstar, 48, tells PEOPLE exclusively in its latest issue.

Hunkered down at home last year with wife Gwen Stefani, 55, and stepsons Kingston, 18, Zuma, 16, and Apollo, 11, Shelton got an unexpected call from Post Malone to collab on the runaway hit, “Pour Me a Drink.”

Post Malone and Blake Shelton in July 2024.Jason Kempin/Getty

The song’s success “lit a fire under me,” says Shelton, who headed back to the studio to record his 13th LP, For Recreational Use Only (out May 9).

The album’s lead single, “Texas,” earned the singer his 30th No. 1 — and the milestone isn’t lost on him.

“I’ve always been a nerd for country music stats. Early on I thought it was important to know these things about my heroes,” he says, name-checking George Strait’s 60 No. 1’s. “Now to have my own chapter where I can go, ‘Man, this is my catalog and my legacy.’ . . . It really is exciting.”

After taking a break, Shelton — who teamed up with Taylor Sheridan for a new CBS singing competition show called The Road (debuting this fall) — is feeling more invigorated than ever as he leans into his country roots.

Through it all, he’s also found a new sense of peace.

“After 25 years of doing this, and the ups and downs, I don’t feel like I have anything to prove anymore,” he says. “I used to be almost afraid of my success because I was afraid of losing it somehow. Maybe the worry kept me working hard and focused — but now it’s just fun for me.”

Shelton’s new body of work contains his signature party songs, but also poignant ballads, like “Heaven Sweet Home,” that point to the life experience he now has under his belt.

“I recorded that song a few years ago, maybe four or even five years ago. I’ve done this a lot in my career… I’ll have songs that I’ve cut that, for whatever reason, may not feel like they work for whatever particular album I’m putting together at that moment,” he says. “I’ll just sit on ’em and wait. When we were finishing up this album, I dug that song out and it made me think of [country singer Craig Morgan’s late son] Jerry.

“I knew him when he was a little kid, and it was just on my mind, I guess, because I’m getting older and have kids now. It just hit me different now,” continues Shelton. “I reached out to Craig and asked him if he would sing on the record with me, and he jumped on it and took it to a completely different level of hope and emotion.”

As he navigates the next chapter of his career, Shelton remains passionate about supporting aspiring musicians as much as possible.

“It might be my favorite,” he says of giving young singers a platform to showcase their talent. “I don’t really feel like I’m in the race anymore. If a young, up-and-coming artist ever looks to me for advice or something, I damn sure have plenty of it to give. I love being a country singer so much.”

For more on Blake Shelton’s new music and his sweet life with Gwen Stefani, pick up the new issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands everywhere now.