Carly Pearce on ‘You Can Have Him,’ Embracing Her Roots, and Making Music on Her Own Terms [Exclusive]

Carly Pearce is celebrating her 36th birthday in the best way she knows how: by giving fans a gift of her own. The GRAMMY-winning singer/songwriter just released her brand-new track, “You Can Have Him,” as a surprise gift to them. 

The just-released tune offers another glimpse into what’s to come on Pearce’s forthcoming album and leans heavily into her traditional country roots, complete with rootsy production featuring steel guitar, bass, fiddle, and dobro.

We caught up with Pearce by phone on Thursday as she made her way to Bowling Green, Kentucky to kick off a weekend run of shows.

“I think the album as a whole is really a return to form of my bluegrass and traditional country roots. And I feel like it really gets showcased in the song, just that old traditional, what would a Carly Pearce song be back in the 1960s on stage at the Opry? And I really wanted to showcase that part of my story because I feel like I haven’t really gone there before in a traditional country sense,” she explained. 

Pearce produced the track alongside Ben West and co-wrote the tongue-in-cheek lyrics with Tofer Brown, Carter Faith, and Lauren Hungate.

“You Can Have Him” tells the story of a man who isn’t exactly picky when it comes to women. He “likes blondes, brunettes, and redheads,” and once he starts drinking, just about anyone in his vicinity becomes a target. While Pearce admits she kissed him “about an hour ago,” she ultimately decides she’s done dealing with his wandering eye.

“If he’s lookin’ at you that way with a look on his face/ That says “I can whisk you away,” go get at him/ If you can take him, you can have him/ If you make him wanna flirt in your denim mini skirt/ And he’s workin’ up the nerve/ If it’s lookin’ like he loves you, you should ask him/ If you can take him, you can have him,” she sings on the chorus.

Reflecting on the day they wrote the song, Pearce shared, “We were on the road last year together, Carter and I, and I just asked her, I’d never done that with one of my opening acts, but I just think the world of her. So I had asked her to write a song with me and we wrote this song really fast on the road, just kind of as a fun, tongue-in-cheek, honky-tonk drinking song as far as giving advice to girls. If a guy’s looking around, let him go.”

While the male character in the song may come off a bit sleazy, Pearce admitted there wasn’t a specific person in mind when crafting the storyline, they were simply leaning into the playful nature of the track.

For the country star, it was also important to show a different side of her artistry.

“I’ve been wanting to show a different side of myself that’s a little less serious and more just fun,” she admitted. 

The upcoming project, which will serve as the follow-up to 2024’s hummingbird, finds Pearce pushing herself creatively and making music on her own terms, free from outside expectations.

“I think with this album, I’ve really gone to places that I never have before because I just simply am making this record for me without like parameters of what the industry or people tell me I should be,” she told us. “It’s like, this is the music that I wanted to make. And I think you’re going to really hear that sonically and lyrically just in a way that you haven’t from me and I’m really excited about that.”

“You Can Have Him” follows Carly Pearce’s recent releases, including her duet with Riley Green, “If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay,” as well as “Church Girl” and “Dream Come True.” Pearce says dropping multiple songs ahead of the album has been “really fun,” adding, “There’s a lot more music to come and large announcements coming very soon.”

She’ll celebrate her birthday with a show tonight at Capitol Theatre in Wheeling, West Virginia, and she won’t be celebrating alone. She confirmed her boyfriend, Jordan Karcher, will be there for the occasion. It’s fitting timing, too, as she revealed “You Can Have Him” is “his favorite song on my album.”

As she gears up to share more details about this next chapter, Pearce teased, “This is the most excited I’ve ever been…”