Carly Pearce “had to bring all of the sequins, and all of the fringe to Texas” — and she rocked it.
Pearce knows how to pack powerful emotions into heartbreak anthems. She performed some of her best ones at the iHeartCountry Festival presented by Capital One on Saturday night (October 30).
She kicked off her set with “Next Girl,” an upbeat track that serves as a warning to the next girl to fall for a charmer despite his routine red flags. That was one of the songs she performed from her latest album, along with “Never Wanted To Be That Girl,” a duet with fellow country artist Ashley McBryde, before throwing back to her 2017 hit, “Every Little Thing.”
The set marked Pearce’s second iHeartCountry performance of the day. She was one of the artists included in the star-studded lineup at the 2021 iHeartCountry Festival Daytime Village, along with Frank Ray, Maddie & Tae and more.
Pearce marked several milestones this year, including her Grand Ole Opry induction on August 3. Country music icon Dolly Parton delivered the news in June, surprising Pearce by calling her to the Opry under the impression that she was filming a promotional video for Dollywood. “I just want you to know how proud I am of you,” Parton told Pearce, who gushed that she’s “just trying to follow in your footsteps.” Pearce was “hysterical” to learn that she would become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. She was inducted by Opry member Trisha Yearwood, who welcomed Pearce “to the family.”
Following her Opry induction, Pearce released her latest album, “29: Written in Stone.” The album delivers powerful and emotional tracks, including “Dear Miss Loretta” featuring Patty Loveless and “What He Didn’t Do.” Pearce explained in a TikTok last month that she wrote the breakup song “to remind all of us to remember what WE need in a relationship. It’s easy to get lost in a relationship that actually isn’t meeting your needs.” She added that “What He Didn’t Do” reminds her to hold her standards (and her head) high, and to “NEVER settle for anything less than the love I deserve.”
Pearce wrapped up her iHeartCountry Festival set performing her smash duet with Lee Brice, “I Hope You’re Happy Now.” “What’s so amazing about the song and what’s so amazing about Lee and I’s perspective on it, is it’s each side of the heartbreak and each side of a relationship breaking up,” Pearce said when the song released. “What I love so much is that the hook, ‘I hope you’re happy now’ represents two very different things that are very real in relationships.” The song was Pearce's last of the night; Brice followed with performances some of his most popular songs, including “Rumor” and “One of Them Girls.”
Listen to Pearce’s latest album on iHeartRadio here.