Thomas Rhett and Blake Shelton Reunite on “Old Tricks,” Reflecting on Friendship, Aging, and a Full-Circle Moment
Thomas Rhett and Blake Shelton’s friendship stretches back long before they shared the stage. In fact, Shelton once attempted to help a much younger Rhett with his schoolwork—though Rhett admits he wasn’t exactly the best tutor.
In a previous Sunday TODAY interview with Willie Geist, Rhett reflected on growing up in a unique environment as the son of country artist Rhett Akins. Spending time around industry legends like Shelton was normal in his Nashville upbringing, making it surreal to now tour and record music with them.
“Looking back, it’s funny. Today I’m opening for Blake, but 10 years ago he was helping me with homework,” Rhett said, laughing. “Not really successfully, though.”
Their latest collaboration, “Old Tricks,” is featured on About A Woman (& A Good Ol’ Boy)—the extended version of Rhett’s seventh studio album. The upbeat duet, full of wit and charm, captures the reality of growing older and realizing that what used to come easily—hangovers, charm, stamina—just doesn’t anymore.
Written by Rhett alongside Andrew Haas, Ian Franzino, Jim Beavers, John Ryan, and Julian Bunetta, the track sees both stars reflect on aging in their signature tongue-in-cheek fashion. Rhett opens with a line about recovering slower after a night out, and Shelton follows with a reminder that the tricks that once impressed women don’t work like they used to.
“Basically the hook is, ‘My old tricks don’t work anymore,’” Rhett explained to Apple Music. “In college, I could drink 10 beers a day and be fine. Now, it takes two days to recover. And Blake coming in on the second verse just made the whole thing 150% better.”
Their voices blend naturally on the catchy chorus:
“My old tricks don’t work anymore /
They don’t get it done like they did before /
Yeah, the cold, hard truth is gettin’ harder to swallow /
I guess the younger me is a hard act to follow…”
The duet wraps with a humorous exchange. Rhett asks, “We ain’t gettin’ any younger, are we?” and Shelton, never missing a beat, agrees.
Alongside “Old Tricks,” the About A Woman (& A Good Ol’ Boy) collection includes new collaborations with Jordan Davis (“Ain’t A Bad Life”), Tucker Wetmore (“Small Town Girls”), and Lanie Gardner (“What Could Go Right”). It continues Rhett’s trend of rolling out music in phases, following About A Woman (From A Small Town) released earlier this summer.
And if releasing a dream duet wasn’t enough, Rhett capped off the week by headlining a sold-out show at Boston’s Fenway Park on July 19 as part of his Better in Boots Tour. Joined by Tucker Wetmore, The Castellows, and Teddy Swims, the milestone show marked a high point in his career.
Reflecting on the moment, Rhett said, “This week is a big deal for me. Two of my biggest dreams were headlining a stadium and collaborating with someone I’ve looked up to—like Blake Shelton. Now I’m doing both in the same week, and it’s blowing my mind.”
He added, “To be doing this surrounded by good friends, new music, and a crowd like Fenway—it feels like a full-circle moment.”
Thomas Rhett’s Better in Boots Tour continues across the U.S. through the fall, with upcoming stops at major venues and two nights at Fontainebleau Las Vegas in October.