Blake Shelton takes break from mainstream music to focus on gospel songs

Country singer Blake Shelton and his girlfriend Gwen Stefani are making new music that honours God. (Twitter/@AtwoodsRanchHm)

Country singer and "The Voice" judge Blake Shelton has found success in the mainstream music industry, but he is taking a break from it in order to focus on making gospel songs.

His new album "If I'm Honest" is a testament to his Christian faith. One of the songs from it is called "Saviour's Shadow." Shelton considers it an "important" gospel song because it talks about God's infinite love towards His people.

"Though the devil tried to break me, my sweet Jesus won't forsake me, when I'm in my Saviour's shadow where I'm supposed to be," goes the lyrics of the song.

Jessi Alexander, one of the co-writers of the song, earlier shared with Taste of Country some insight into the song. "He [Shelton] started an incredible song, a gospel song, and asked me and JR [Jon Randall] to help him finish," Alexander said. "It's beautiful and moving, and I can't wait for him to tell the story. It's almost his 'Why Me Lord' — it's very deep to him and to us."

Meanwhile, Shelton said the idea for the song actually came to him in a dream. "I dreamed the song last summer," he wrote about the song on his Twitter account (@blakeshelton). "I woke up and wrote down everything I could remember."

Shelton's girlfriend Gwen Stefani, meanwhile, is also making music that is focused on God. Her new album "Now This Is What the Truth Feels Like" is filled with a lot of personal songs. Even though her record label initially told her not to do it, Stefani didn't back down.

"We don't think people are going to relate. You should just put out an art record," they told her, according to Refinery 29. In response, Stefani said, "Are you kidding me? I'm literally channelling God here. I'm saving my own life with this record and you come and punch me in the face?"

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