Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani are an unlikely match in more ways than one. Gwen Stefani rules the worlds of fashion and punk rock, while Blake Shelton is a country music icon. Not to mention, their home states couldn't be more different. For Memorial Day weekend, the couple capitalized on their differences and had a beer tasting competition pitting their home states against one another.
Videos by Wide Open Country
A Dynamic Duo
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The country singer grew up in the small town of Ada, Oklahoma, where he rocked a mullet and began writing songs at age 15. He moved to Nashville to pursue his music career at age 17. Gwen Stefani, on the other hand, grew up in Fullerton, California. She made her singing debut at a high school talent show, where she wowed spectators with her incredible voice and stage presence.
Gwen and Blake's love story began when they met as fellow The Voice coaches in 2014, alongside Adam Levine and Pharrell Williams. After six years of romance, Shelton proposed to Stefani at his Oklahoma ranch in 2020. The country star told People about his first meeting with the No Doubt frontwoman:
After watching Stefani's surprise Hollaback Girl show, he said "I remember enjoying her performance, and then after the show, we all took a group picture. It was very much an industry-type meeting, and I told people, 'I met Gwen Stefani. That's crazy.'"
Stefani was previously married to ex-husband Gavin Rossdale, with whom she has sons Kingston, Zuma, and Apollo. After 12 years of marriage, the two went their separate ways peacefully. As for the country music superstar, he was previously married to Kaynette Williams and then Miranda Lambert.
After their meeting on NBC's The Voice, Shelton and Stefani quickly became an item. When the two joined the other Voice stars on late-night show The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, they performed "Hotline Bling" together. Their chemistry was obvious on stage, and fans couldn't help but notice the attraction.
Since they announced their relationship the following fall, Gwen and Blake have been an iconic Hollywood match, performing multiple duets together like "Nobody Like You" and "Happy Anywhere." Last year at the Grammy Awards, they performed the duet 'Nobody But You' for the first time, further displaying their love and chemistry on stage.
Shelton and Stefani Are Getting Married!
Now that the celebrity couple is engaged, their wedding is on the horizon. Gwen Stefani is concerned about the Covid-19 pandemic, and has told Shelton that she wants the wedding to "not be a COVID situation." She mainly just wants her parents to be there, and will see how things go over the next few months.
Both Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani are full of pride for their home states, so it was only natural that their Memorial Day celebrations would become an Oklahoma vs. California competition.
Okie vs. Cali
In their "Okie vs. Cali" beer tasting, the engaged music stars hosted friends and family for the beer tasting that would determine which state has the superior beer. The group sipped and then rated eight beers from the respective home states in a friendly competition.
The good times were documented on Gwen Stefani's social media account. In her Instagram story, Stefani displayed the list of eight beers, including notes beside each one, and then posting a video captioned "Beer tasting Okie vs. Cali." In the video, Gwen Stefani tries one of the beers, remarking "the creamy one is quite good."
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Shelton then showed the beers in their brown paper bags, which were used to hide the labels and prevent any state favoritism to affect the results. In the next slide of the video, Stefani's brother and his wife cracked open two beers, one an Oklahoma classic and one from California. Afterward, the couple started singing and dancing to "California Love," in a playful display of where their loyalties lie.
The entertaining story ended with an adorable pic of Stefani and her 12-year-old niece Stella wearing matching hoodies. It isn't clear which state won the beer tasting competition, but we know for sure that there's no cuter couple than these two music stars!
