Blake Shelton is learning the difference between being a parent figure and a buddy to girlfriend Gwen Stefani’s three kids.
The happy couple just released their romantic duet, “Happy Anywhere,” which was reason enough for Shelton to talk about his time with Stefani and her sons in quarantine to Today show co-anchors Carson Daly and Hoda Kotb on Friday.
The pair’s song became a chart-topper just hours after its release, to which Shelton quipped, “People are desperate out there.”
As for who is more surprised about their country music success, Stefani or him, Shelton noted, “I would say Gwen because she just never imagined hearing herself on country radio. She’s been listening for the last five years I guess and has just really fallen in love with country music.”
Shelton, Stefani and her three kids, 14-year-old Kingston, 11-year-old Zuma and 6-year-old Apollo, have been quarantining at the country crooner’s ranch in Oklahoma and have managed to keep busy.
“Pretty much this year, we’ve been doing things I wish I had time to do for the last 20 years. That’s literally stupid things like pick blackberries,” Shelton shared. “…We grew a garden.”
The couple also recorded a music video for their new song while in lock-down, and had one of Stefani’s brothers work the camera.
.@BlakeShelton talks about his latest song released with girlfriend @GwenStefani and how he’s spending his time at home in this new normal. #BlakeSheltonTODAY@Citibankpic.twitter.com/fMvHn6A1V8
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) July 24, 2020
Just last month, Stefani posted a photo of Shelton with her sons to Instagram along with the message, “Happy Father’s Day @blakeshelton. Thank u for helping me raise these boys!! #weloveyou!”
happy father’s day @blakeshelton thank u for helping me raise these boys!! #weloveyou! G❤️K❤️Z❤️A gx
A post shared by Gwen Stefani (@gwenstefani) on Jun 21, 2020 at 9:41am PDT
Shelton confessed that taking on the role of a parent has been “a scary moment for me.”
“It’s one thing to be with the kids all the time and be their buddy but you do have to consider after a while that they start to listen to things that you say,” he explained. “There’s a lot of responsibility that comes with that which is new to me.”
Earlier this summer, a source told 360aproko that as great as Stefani and Shelton’s relationship is, they’re not too concerned with tying the knot right now.
“People keep asking her about when she and Blake might tie the knot, but she is in no hurry. Right now, with everything happening in the world, she has definitely put any wedding plans on the back burner,” the source said. “Gwen and Blake trust and love each other and have truly built a wonderful family together, so right now she feels like she doesn’t need to rock the boat.”
Last year, Shelton spoke with 360aproko about how he and Stefani would reveal a potential engagement.
“I promise you, we won’t break the news in any of the grocery store trash magazines,” he vowed. “When it happens, you’ll hear about it.”
