Before Toby Keith turned “I Wanna Talk About Me” into a five-week No. 1 country hit in 2001, Blake Shelton had already recorded the song. In fact, it had been written specifically for Blake Shelton.
What makes the story remarkable is that the song was rejected so decisively that Blake Shelton’s record label didn’t even want it included on the debut album.
Years later, Blake Shelton could laugh about the whole thing, especially the teasing that came from Toby Keith after the song became a hit.
It Started With Blake Shelton Fooling Around in the Studio
While working on Blake Shelton’s first album, producer and songwriter Bobby Braddock noticed an unusual habit. Blake Shelton would arrive at recording sessions performing ridiculous little rap songs, sometimes made up during the drive to the studio.
The performances were intended as jokes, but Bobby Braddock found the Oklahoma singer’s exaggerated rap delivery genuinely funny.
That gave Bobby Braddock an idea: write a country song with a rap-style rhythm specifically for Blake Shelton.
There was another source of inspiration, too.
Bobby Braddock later explained in an interview with NPR’s Fresh Air that a female friend had been going through personal difficulties and dominating their telephone conversations. That experience provided the subject for a humorous song about someone who finally wants a little attention.
The two inspirations came together in “I Wanna Talk About Me.”
Blake Shelton loved the result and recorded the song while preparing the debut album.
The Recording That Failed the Label’s Test
At the time, Blake Shelton was signed to Giant Records. The company used listener focus groups to evaluate songs and help determine what belonged on an album.
According to Blake Shelton’s later account, “I Wanna Talk About Me” performed terribly in those tests.
The reaction was strong enough that label executives didn’t simply reject the song as a potential single. The label also decided against including it on the album.
For a new country artist trying to establish a career, a humorous rap-influenced recording was considered a considerable risk.
Blake Shelton’s version remained unreleased.
But Bobby Braddock still believed the song had potential. In a 2015 interview with MusicRow, Bobby Braddock confirmed that the original recording existed and said Blake Shelton had done a good job with it.
Then the Song Reached Toby Keith
After the rejection, Bobby Braddock brought “I Wanna Talk About Me” to James Stroud, who was working with Toby Keith.
James Stroud liked the song, and Toby Keith responded enthusiastically.
Bobby Braddock believed the song’s bold humor suited Toby Keith particularly well. Toby Keith had already demonstrated an ability to deliver playful, self-confident material with hits such as “How Do You Like Me Now?!”
The song became part of Toby Keith’s 2001 album Pull My Chain, with James Stroud and Toby Keith credited as producers of the recording.
Released as a single, “I Wanna Talk About Me” reached No. 1 on Billboard’s country chart in November 2001 and remained there for five consecutive weeks.
What one record label had considered unsuitable for a debut album became one of Toby Keith’s most recognizable hits.
The Joke Toby Keith Never Let Blake Shelton Forget
More than two decades later, Blake Shelton revisited the story during interviews about the early years of the recording career.
In a March 2025 conversation with Audacy’s Katie Neal, Blake Shelton recalled how Toby Keith used to tease Blake Shelton about losing the song.
According to Blake Shelton, Toby Keith joked that the rejected recording must have been pretty bad if the label had refused to release it.
Blake Shelton also acknowledged something important: Toby Keith was especially well suited to the song’s humor and attitude.
For Bobby Braddock, the unexpected success was equally memorable. The songwriter admitted being surprised that such an unusual recording could spend five weeks at No. 1.
And somewhere in the history of those early recording sessions is another version of “I Wanna Talk About Me,” sung by Blake Shelton before country radio ever heard Toby Keith’s famous recording.
Blake Shelton made the original recording. The label passed on it. Toby Keith made it a hit.
And for years afterward, Toby Keith had a pretty good joke to tell about the one that got away.