Kelsea Ballerini confirmed on Sept. 9 that her upcoming album Subject To Change will feature a collab with Carly Pearce and Kelly Clarkson on the song “You’re Drunk, Go Home.” We spoke with Carly before the television premiere of the 2022 ACM Honors event, which she hosted, and she shared more about the highly-anticipated track. “I’ve been longtime friends with Kelsea and she came to me earlier this summer and said, ‘Hey, I have this song, it’s called “You’re Drunk, Go Home.” Would you ever be interested in doing this?'” Carly told HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY “‘I’m thinking me, you and Kelly Clarkson.’ Well, I’ve been a Kelly fan since I was a little girl I wish I could go back and tell myself at the American Idol tour that I was going to sing a song one day with Kelly Clarkson!”
Carly confirmed that the track is a “super fun, honky tonk-style song.” She also added, “I think you could not have matched three more perfect women at this point in their lives to sing this song.” Carly and Kelly both went through public divorces in 2020, while Kelsea recently filed for divorce from her husband of nearly five years, Morgan Evans. Looks like we have a girl power moment on our hands!
“You’re Drunk Go Home” will come out on Sept. 23, but Carly has a lot to look forward to before then, too. In August, she returned to host the ACM Honors for the second year in a row. This year, though, the event will be televised on FOX on Sept. 13. Read more from our interview with Carly below, where she dished about that, the upcoming CMA Awards and more!
On returning to host ACM Honors: Oh my gosh, I was so excited when they asked me. I love getting to host. That’s something that’s super important to me as I continue to build my career. So to get to do it for a second year was so great. It went from obviously being a very special night the first year, but it was all live streamed and still during the pandemic times. So to get to do it now and have it be my first big hosting situation on my own, on a major network…I felt the pressure. But I was excited.
On what to look forward to during the ACM Honors: I’m not just saying this to blow smoke, but every single performance of the night [was incredible]. It’s such an interesting show where other artists take on and do their own interpretations of honorees’ music. Kelsea Ballerini did an amazing, theatrical performance of “Man I Feel Like A Woman.’ Brooks & Dunn and Little Big Town honored Miranda Lambert in ways that were really special. Vince Gill honored Chris Stapleton. It was such a fun night. Every performance was so unique.
On the success of her latest single “What He Didn’t Do”: This song, for me, ahs been one that I feel like fans have gravitated towards ever since I released it by just singing it in a little writer’s round in Nashville during the pandemic. I sang it and it went viral immediately. Someone’s cellphone video was put up online and it’s been the little song that I feel like fans have wanted the whole time. For me, it’s one of the songs I really fought for wanting it to be a single at some point. It’s honestly bigger than any song I’ve had as far as natural growth on socials and streaming and in my live shows.
I think what’s so cool about it is that it came from such a dark place for me and has become such an anthem of not lowering your expectations and making sure that in a relationship your expectations are met and you do feel loved because you deserve that.
On new music she’s working on: I’m working on new music and I’m really excited for fans to get to hear it. I think that it has been such a transitional time for me. In no way am I saying, ‘Oops, I’m happy and everything’s great!’ in the new music, but I do think people will see the evolution of me finding happiness and coming out on the other side and how I’m wrestling with all those different emotions that come with opening your heart again.
On her 5 CMA Awards nominations, including Female Vocalist of the Year, which she won in 2021: They all surprise me, every single time. It surprised me that I had five, for sure. As a songwriter, at the ACMs in 2021, when I won for Single of the Year, I remember being like…that’s so cool. And to now be nominated at the CMAs for Single and Song of the Year on a song that was such a personal experience is just the most rewarding thing as a songwriter. Those are always the ones where it’s just like…wow, that’s really awesome. But also really excited about Female Vocalist, too!