Blake Shelton Opens 2023 CMT Music Awards With Lively Rendition of ‘No Body’

Blake Shelton was the first artist to take the stage at the 2023 CMT Music Awards on Sunday night (April 2), and he kicked off what will be an eventful awards show night with a rendition of his latest single, "No Body."

After an emotional show open in which host Kelsea Ballerini honored the victims of the Nashville shooting that took place on Monday (March 27), Shelton took to a stage in the center of the crowd to kick off the party. Shelton started off the performance by himself, but it didn't stay that way for long, as dancers soon came out to join him for some line dance-inspired choreography, echoing the music video for the song.

Shelton continued to perform the song with a smile on his face, as the cowboy boot-clad dancers moved further down the stage. The performance ended with fog being released into the air and the large roar of applause from the audience.

The song finds the Oklahoma native taking his fans on a trip down memory lane, ushering them into a nostalgic honk-tonk world. The video features line dancing, dusty hardwoods and buzzing neon signs — he even resurrected his signature mullet for the project.

Shelton released "No Body" in August 2022. It was his first single since dropping "Come Back as a Country Boy" in 2021.

Although has not shared details regarding a new album, he will have more time on his hands when he retires from The Voice after Season 23. The "Austin" singer revealed the news at the end of 2022 and also confessed the decision is one he has contemplated for the last few years. He considered leaving in 2020, but when the pandemic shut the world down, he decided it was better to stick around until things got back to normal.

After retirement, he plans on spending more time with his family — wife Gwen Stefani and her three sons whom Shelton is a stepfather to. Kingston, 16, Zuma, 14, and Apollo, 9, are from her previous marriage to Gavin Rossdale. Shelton has also launched another television series, Barmageddon, with his friend and Voice host, Carson Daly.

The 2023 CMT Music Awards aired on Sunday (April 2) live from Austin, Texas, on CBS. The event also streamed live on Paramount+. Kelsea Ballerini and Kane Brown co-hosted the show.