Ian Flanigan released his highly-anticipated duet called “Grow Up” featuring Blake Shelton on Friday, May 14.
Flanigan first stole the hearts of Americans across the country during Season 19 of NBC’s The Voice when he competed on Team Blake and placed third overall in the competition. However, placing third did not stop him from continuing to pursue his musical dreams. As the singer and rising star, hit the ground running, signing a deal with Reviver Music and releasing his debut single, which is his duet with his former coach from The Voice, Shelton.
The newly-engaged New Yorker and father of young daughter Kamea told Music Mayhem that the new duet “is about celebrating life, and feeling young, no matter how old you are.” “Grow Up” finds Flanigan and Shelton flawlessly trading vocals while also singing in perfect harmony.
Listen to the brand new song below.
“We reached out to see if he had any interest, and he did,” Flanigan told Music Mayhem of the collaboration. “Blake has a history of helping previous contestants from the show and I’m so grateful for his generosity and that the timing worked out for us to do this.” Later adding, “It’s always an absolute pleasure to get to work with Blake, I’m a huge fan of his music and him as a person. He’s great to hang with, and a real pro in the studio.”
“He’s got one of those voices that just tracks so easily and sits really well in a mix right away,” Flanigan explained of Shelton. “It’s still hard to believe that this experience is happening for me, I just try to be present, and grateful in these situations. I’m always aware of what an honor it is. Blake was very generous with his time in the studio. Being such a busy guy, to cut out the time to make this happen really shows his character, and his dedication to helping other artists. I’m thankful to call him a friend.”
The singer also shared a lyric video for the track, which features footage from inside the studio and you can watch that below.
To celebrate the release, Shelton and Flanigan will give the live debut television performance of the duet on a new episode of The Voice, premiering Monday (May 17.)
