In the sun-drenched sprawl of Southern California, where celebrity offspring often trade playgrounds for paparazzi flashes, few transformations capture the heart quite like a teen boy’s embrace of his stepdad’s signature swagger. On October 24, 2025, as the Halloween season painted Disneyland’s Main Street with ghosts and ghouls, 17-year-old Zuma Rossdale strolled through the Magic Kingdom looking every inch the country crooner in training. Rocking a fresh mullet that nodded straight to his stepfather Blake Shelton’s early-2000s glory days, Zuma paired the “business in the front, party in the back” ‘do with a denim-on-denim ensemble—faded jacket slung over a graphic tee, slim jeans tucked into scuffed cowboy boots, and a backward snapback for that effortless rebel edge. Flanked by a gaggle of high school buddies, he queued for Space Mountain, oblivious to the smartphones snapping his every move. But when the photos hit social media the next day, the internet erupted: “Zuma’s channeling Blake so hard, it’s like time travel!” one fan gushed on X. Another chimed in, “That mullet? He’s the spitting image—really looks like him!” For Gwen Stefani’s middle son, this wasn’t just a hairstyle; it was a heartfelt homage to the man who’s become his North Star, blending family bonds with a budding passion for twangy tunes in a story that’s equal parts heartwarming and headline-grabbing.

Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale, born August 21, 2008, entered the world as the second chapter in Stefani’s family saga with ex-husband Gavin Rossdale. The couple, whose 2002 wedding fused No Doubt’s ska-punk energy with Bush’s grunge grit, welcomed Zuma amid a whirlwind of platinum records and red-carpet glamour. Named for a South African revolutionary and a Bob Marley anthem—Zuma for Nelson Mandela’s successor Jacob, Nesta Rock for Marley’s middle moniker—the boy’s moniker hinted at the eclectic influences shaping his upbringing. From toddler tantrums in Stefani’s Encino mansion to romps on Rossdale’s London sets, Zuma’s early years were a rock ‘n’ roll reverie: backstage passes at Coachella, impromptu jam sessions with his big brother Kingston (now 19), and the wide-eyed wonder of little brother Apollo (11). Stefani, the Harajuku-loving pop provocateur behind hits like “Hollaback Girl” and “The Sweet Escape,” balanced motherhood with her solo empire, while Rossdale’s brooding baritone kept the household humming with alt-rock anthems. But beneath the glossy veneer, cracks formed. By 2015, infidelity rumors and irreconcilable drifts led to divorce, a amicable split that thrust Zuma into the co-parenting carousel—Thanksgivings split between L.A. lofts and British countryside estates, holidays hashed out via Zoom.

Enter Blake Shelton, the towering Oklahoma drawler whose gravelly charm and larger-than-life persona would rewrite Zuma’s script. Stefani and Shelton’s meet-cute unfolded on The Voice set in 2014, a blind-date-by-chair-spin that blossomed amid coaching camaraderie and shared custody woes. Both reeling from betrayals—her from Rossdale’s alleged affair, him from Miranda Lambert’s 2015 filing—they found solace in late-night texts and ranch retreats. By 2016, sparks flew into headlines, with Shelton gifting Stefani a diamond-dusted guitar and her serenading him with custom lyrics at his Nashville New Year’s bash. Their 2021 wedding at Shelton’s Tishomingo ranch—a star-studded soiree with 40 guests, cowboy boots, and a cake topped with their intertwined initials—sealed the fairy tale. For Zuma, then 13, Shelton wasn’t just a stepdad; he was a gentle giant who traded tour buses for family fishing trips, teaching the boys to bait hooks and strum chords under Oklahoma stars. “Blake’s the dad who shows up with a truck full of ATVs and zero agenda,” a family friend once quipped. “Zuma latched on quick—it’s like watching a duck imprint on a golden retriever.”

Shelton’s influence on Zuma runs deeper than denim and drawls; it’s a full-throated adoption of country life’s unhurried rhythm. Growing up in Ada, Oklahoma—a speck-on-the-map town where Friday nights mean high school football and Sunday suppers mean pot roast—Shelton embodies the heartland hero: 6-foot-5 frame, booming laugh, and a voice that’s sold 12 million albums since his 2001 debut Blake Shelton’s Barn & Grill. His mullet, a relic from the ’90s nu-metal phase that morphed into a cheeky country staple, became iconic during his early hits like “Austin” and “Some Beach.” “It was my rebellion—short on top for the record execs, long in back for the honky-tonks,” Shelton joked in a 2023 Playboy interview. Zuma, ever the observer, first toyed with the style during a 2024 summer at the ranch: scissors in hand, mirror propped against a hay bale, he snipped his shaggy locks into a tentative mullet while Shelton cheered from the porch, beer in fist. “Kid’s got guts,” Shelton later posted on Instagram, a rare dad-brag that racked up 2 million likes. By Zuma’s 17th birthday in August 2025, the look was locked in—crisp fade up front, feathered waves cascading to his collar, a perfect echo of Shelton’s throwback vibe.

But it’s Zuma’s musical metamorphosis that truly cements the resemblance, turning family lore into full-blown fandom. Once a fixture at Stefani’s pop spectacles—bouncing onstage during her 2016 This Is What the Truth Feels Like tour to the beat of “Make Me Like You”—Zuma’s tastes shifted southward post-Shelton. Blame the algorithms or the bonfires, but by 2023, his Spotify Wrapped touted Zach Bryan marathons and post-Malone twang, a far cry from his mom’s ’90s ska roots. “I caught him air-guitaring to ‘God’s Country’ in the shower,” Stefani laughed on The Drew Barrymore Show last year. “Blake’s rubbing off—it’s adorable and a little terrifying.” Zuma’s debut came quietly: a 2024 open-mic night at Shelton’s Ole Red bar in Tishomingo, where he strapped on an acoustic and crooned a cover of Bryan’s “I Remember Everything.” The crowd—truckers and tourists alike—leaned in, mesmerized by the kid’s earnest baritone, a blend of Rossdale’s rasp and Shelton’s soul. Shelton, emceeing from the shadows, bounded onstage post-set: “Give it up for my man Zuma Rossdale—he’s got more heart than half the pros I know!” Videos went viral, amassing 5 million views, with fans dubbing him “Mini Mullet Maverick.”

The Disneyland sighting on October 24 amplified the buzz, a serendipitous snapshot amid Mickey’s mayhem. Zuma, fresh from a high school pep rally (he’s a junior at Harvard-Westlake, the elite L.A. prep where his brother Kingston once roamed the halls), linked up with pals for a day of thrills. Photos captured him mid-laugh on the Haunted Mansion porch, mullet tousled by the California breeze, a Disneyland map crumpled in his fist. His outfit? Pure Shelton homage: pearl-snap shirt unbuttoned just so, boot-cut jeans hugging his lanky frame, and that mullet gleaming under the park’s perpetual twilight. No entourage, no filters—just a teen owning his vibe in the happiest place on earth. By October 27, the images had exploded across X and Instagram, with Stefani reposting a fan edit to her 37 million followers: “My boy’s all grown and all heart 💙 #ZumaVibes.” The caption sparked a deluge: “He really looks like him—Blake’s clone in cowboy boots!” one user wrote, attaching side-by-side shots of Zuma and a young Shelton from 2003’s The Dreamer era. Another: “Mullet magic! Zuma’s got that Shelton swagger down pat. Country’s next king?” A third, more poetic: “From Hollaback to Honky-Tonk—love how Blake’s turning rock kids into ranch hands.”

Fan fervor isn’t mere memes; it’s a mirror to the blended family’s alchemy. Stefani and Shelton’s union—now four years strong—has weathered tabloid tempests, from Rossdale’s occasional shade (“We’re parents, not co-parents—we’re too different,” he told The Sun in 2024) to whispers of Stefani’s Vegas residency pulling her from the ranch. Yet, through it all, Zuma’s evolution underscores the glue: Shelton’s unflashy devotion. He’s coached Zuma through driver’s ed (a rite marred by a fender-bender on Highway 1), hosted “man cave” movie nights with Tombstone marathons, and even mediated sibling spats with his signature deadpan: “Y’all fight like cats in a sack—save it for the stage.” For Zuma, it’s reciprocal: he FaceTimed Shelton during a 2025 school talent show, belting “God’s Country” to a gym full of skeptics, earning a standing ovation and a proud-dad text: “Nailed it, kid. Ranch this weekend?” Rossdale, gracious in co-parenting, has nodded approval—outfitting Zuma in his grunge line for a Bush gig last fall, a rock-to-country bridge that hints at harmony.

As October 28 dawns, Zuma’s mullet moment feels like a microcosm of modern family: fluid, fierce, and fiercely adored. At 17, he’s no longer the towheaded tagalong from Stefani’s Baby Don’t Lie video; he’s a budding artist eyeing Ole Red residencies and perhaps a demo for Big Loud Records, Shelton’s label home. Stefani, ever the doting diva, gushed in a recent People profile: “Seeing him find his sound—it’s magic. Blake’s given him roots without clipping his wings.” Shelton, laconic as ever, demurred: “Kid’s got talent that don’t come from me. But if the mullet sticks, I’ll take credit.” Fans, meanwhile, keep the chorus alive: petitions for a Zuma-Shelton duet (#MulletDuetNow trending at 50k posts), fan art of the pair in matching Stetsons, and endless affirmations of resemblance. “Really looks like him,” one viral comment read, summing up the sentiment with surgical simplicity.

In a world quick to dissect celebrity splits, Zuma’s story sings a sweeter tune: stepfamilies aren’t second place; they’re symphonies in progress. From Disneyland queues to dusty stages, his mullet isn’t just hair—it’s heritage, a tousled testament to love’s many textures. As Zuma strums into senior year, one thing’s clear: with Shelton’s shadow and Stefani’s spotlight, he’s not just channeling his stepdad. He’s carving his own legend, one feisty follicle at a time.