Ashley McBryde Slays ‘The Devil I Know’ on ‘The Tonight Show’ Stage

Ashley McBryde brought the title track of her critically acclaimed new album, The Devil I Know, to life with a performance on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday evening (Dec. 7). 

“The Devil I Know” Performance

The GRAMMY-winning singer/songwriter showcased her honest songwriting and powerful, raw vocals throughout the late-night performance. On the opening verse, McBryde donned a silver cape as she sang, “A little outside of Elizabethtown/ There’s a little bar where I’d sit down./ And trade a couple country songs for Kentucky Bourbon/ A little ol’ gal in the middle of the night/ Learnin’ how to love and learnin’ how to fight/ And learnin’ how to like my brand of hurtin’/ Hell, there’s hell everywhere I go/ I’m just sticking with the devil I know.”

As the band kicked in on the chorus, the Arkansas native shed with cape, unveiling a bright red jumpsuit underneath.

“Momma says, get my ass to church/ Daddy says, get my ass to work/ Doctor says I gotta give up on these smokes/ Everybody’s got something to say/ About how I gotta change my ways/ But I got something to say of my own/ Hell, there’s hell everywhere I go/ I’m just sticking with the devil I know,” she proudly declared while kicking away the cape. 

On Staying True To Herself

“The Devil I Know” mirrors the way McBryde, who does things on her own terms, lives her life. In a recent interview with Trailblazers Radio on Apple Music Country, she opened up about always staying true to herself and navigating her life and career with that mindset.    

“Whether you’re an artist, no matter what your profession is, no matter what your life is like, you’ve got all of these voices pulling at you in every direction….’You’re too fat, you’re too thin, you have too many tattoos, you should cover your tattoos. Never cover your tattoos. Why are you covering your tattoos? Your hair is too curly. Your hair is too straight. You should only drink celery juice first thing in the morning. You should take magnesium on an empty stomach.’ And like, all of this [expletive] is just coming in,” she said. 

“So all of that comes at you at once and then when you’re like, ‘oh my God, I seem to be doing something wrong no matter who I’m talking to.’ And that’s when you go, ‘I’m just gonna do what I do. And so I think the production in that song lends itself well to all those voices coming at you and then shrinking that down and making it, guess what? I’m gonna do what I want.” 

“The Devil I Know appears on McBryde’s album of the same name. She co-wrote all 11 tracks on the project, which landed on Country Now’s list of the 10 Best Country Albums of 2023. 

“We can’t wait for you to dig into these songs that found a home on The Devil I Know,” she previously shared of the project. “Every decision that went into it had to pass a gut check, and I’m proud to say this entire record does just that. Thanks for coming along with us on this journey – we’re so glad you’re here.”

On Tour

The Grand Ole Opry member is currently in the midst of her headlining The Devil I Know Tour, which runs through June of 2024. During the trek, she will return to the U.K. and Ireland for a run of soon-to-be sold-out shows.