Blake moved to Nashville when he was merely 17, released his debut album in July of 2001 and immediately scored his first No. 1 hit, "Austin," that same month. As a result, Radio & Records magazine named him Breakthrough Artist of 2001 as well as being heralded by critics (Music Row magazine) and acknowledged by fans (Country Weekly). Blake's self-titled debut spawned yet another recognizable hit, the picturesque "Ol' Red," and a year to the day after the album was released, it was certified gold.

Avoiding the so-called sophomore jinx the first single, "The Baby," from his second album The Dreamer, went to the top of the singles chart for three weeks and fans helped propel the video for "Heavy Liftin'" to the No. 1 spot on GAC's weekly Top 20 Country Countdown.

This time, however, Blake readily admits that he's less concerned with radio charts and more concerned with clearly defining who he is as a country music artist.