Startin' Fires is the fifth studio album by American country music singer Blake Shelton. The album was released on November 18, 2008 via Warner Bros. Nashville. Its lead-off single, "She Wouldn't Be Gone", became Shelton's fifth number one hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of February 7, 2009. "I'll Just Hold On" was released as the album's second single. For Starting Fires, Shelton co-wrote two tracks.
Content In an interview with CMT, Shelton explained the album title saying, "it just seemed like the right statement for what we're trying to do with my career right now. And I never felt confident enough to make a statement like that on an album title - not until now. I feel like I'm coming with the most momentum that I've ever had on a record."
The first single, "She Wouldn't Be Gone", debuted at number 52 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of August 23, 2008. It reached a peak of Number One on the chart week of February 7, 2009. "I'll Just Hold On" was released in February 2009 as the second single, which debuted at number 60 and peaked at number 8.
One of the album's songs, "I Don't Care", was first featured on Shelton's previous album, Pure BS. According to About.com, Shelton explained that he wanted the song to be "given its due", since it had not been released as a single. The song was not re-recorded for Startin' Fires.
Scott Hendricks produced all but two tracks on the album. "This Is Gonna Take All Night" was produced by Brent Rowan, and "I Don't Care" was produced by Bobby Braddock. Shelton co-wrote the track "Bare Skin Rug" with his future wife, Miranda Lambert, who also sings duet vocals on it.
Track listing
Personnel
David Angell – violin Monisa Angell – viola Bobby Braddock – string arrangements, strings Tom Bukovac – electric guitar, sitar Lisa Cochran – background vocals Perry Coleman – background vocals Melodie Crittenden – background vocals Eric Darken – percussion, shaker David Davidson – violin Chip Davis – background vocals Shannon Forrest – drums, percussion Paul Franklin – steel guitar Aubrey Haynie – fiddle, mandolin Wes Hightower – background vocals Mike Johnson – pedal steel guitar Miranda Lambert – vocals on "Bare Skin Rug" Tim Lauer – Hammond B-3 organ, string arrangements, strings B. James Lowry – acoustic guitar Chris McHugh – drums, percussion Anthony LaMarchina – cello Brent Mason – acoustic guitar, electric guitar Greg Morrow – drums, percussion Gordon Mote – Hammond B-3 organ, piano Brent Rowan – acoustic guitar, electric guitar Blake Shelton – acoustic guitar, lead vocals Jimmie Lee Sloas – bass guitar Bryan Sutton – acoustic guitar Russell Terrell – background vocals Ilya Toshinsky – acoustic guitar Kristin Wilkinson – viola Glenn Worf – bass guitar Craig Young – bass guitar Jonathan Yudkin – mandolin
Chart performance
Weekly charts Chart (2008) Peak position
Year-end charts Chart (2009) Position US Top Country Albums (Billboard) 33
Singles Year Single Peak chart positions US Country US CAN 2008 "She Wouldn't Be Gone" 1 43 70 2009 "I'll Just Hold On" 8 76 — "—" denotes releases that did not chart
References