Carly Pearce Opens Up About Faith, Judgment, and Healing Behind New Song ‘Church Girl’ [Exclusive]

Carly Pearce is extending a hand to anyone who’s ever felt judged for simply being themselves with her new release, “Church Girl.” Out today, January 23, the country star offers a re-examination of faith and taps into a decade of personal highs and lows to craft a song about acceptance, compassion, and the messy, yet beautiful journey of being human.

Penned by Cameron Bedell, Seth Ennis, and Carter Faith, the track finds Pearce delivering the story in the form of a letter to anyone struggling to break free from the beliefs they were raised with. As a lifelong woman of faith, she admits that she is no stranger to the complexities of religion, facing moments of shame and guilt, or having to navigate the judgment that comes with living in the spotlight.

“For me, I’ve obviously lived a really imperfect public life and had a lot of different feelings throughout that journey where I’ve wrestled with different parts of my faith or religion or Christianity or any of those things. And shame and guilt and embarrassment and judgment and all those things have been pieces of my story along the way,” she tells Country Now.

The Kentucky native takes those emotions and the lessons she learned along the way and pours out a slow, tender arrangement that lets every word breathe. Pearce’s voice swells with compassion and honesty as she creates a reflective, intimate space where every note says as much as the lyrics themselves.

She opens the tune by describing the negativity often cast upon a so-called “church girl,” who’s constantly being criticized no matter what she does.

“Hey, church girl doin’ everything wrong/ Walking on eggshells with your high heels on/ Hey, church girl with the Jezebel dress/ Better take it off, you’re making all the boys think sex/ You got your questions but you’re too scared to ask/ I’m just a sinner who’s been where you’re at,” Pearce sings in the first verse.

Rather than shying away from controversial themes, she leans into them, using the empathetic lyrics to normalize doubt, struggle, and imperfection.

She continues on the chorus, “So, you like to get high/ When you talk to Jesus / So, you love who you love/ And you go out on the weekends/ So, you drink, and you think for yourself/ That don’t mean you’ll go to hell/ When you leave this world/ Just ‘cause you heard it in church, girl.”

Through all the struggles she has faced, Pearce has come to realize the power of acceptance, and that’s exactly what she hopes listeners take away from “Church Girl.” The story serves as a reminder that everyone’s journey is different and that it’s okay to be imperfect, to have questions, or to feel lost. Regardless of where someone is in life, the songstress promises they can always turn to her music or live shows as a safe space.

“I wanted to put ‘Church Girl’ out because I know that there are so many people that walk into my shows, I see them every night, that have related to my music in some way because they’re hurting or on a journey or confused or struggling with something. And I feel like it is my job as an artist to tell them and show them that no matter where you’re at in your journey or what is going on in your life, I want you here and you’re welcome,” she promises. “And I think this song is just about that acceptance of people no matter where they’re at.”

She went on to point out that her newfound perspective allows her to remember that she’s not alone in her confusion, guilt or negative feelings that come with the everyday experiences of life. And the best part is knowing that at the end of the day, she will grow from both the good and bad moments.

“If this could be the starting point or the little God wink or the little nudge that somebody needs to feel okay and to feel a love and feel accepted, that’s the whole reason that I wanted to put it out,” she adds.

Following her last release, “Dream Come True,” “Church Girl” continues to help introduce a bolder, more reflective chapter for Pearce. She explains that with the maturity that’s come along the way, she’s reevaluating what success truly means and focusing on creating music that fulfills her instead of just chasing accolades.  

“It’s been a decade since ‘Every Little Thing’ came out. And [I’m] just kind of reevaluating, ‘okay, what do I want the next 10 years to look like? And what is success to me?’ Because I’ve had all these big on paper things. Did it change the way that I felt about myself? No. So that means I got to do some work,” Pearce admits. “And what do I need to do to make Carly whole without accolades? So I’ve kind of been on that part of the journey…”

Being in this headspace has allowed Carly Pearce to create what she considers to be some of her “best music” yet. On her next album, fans can expect to hear the GRAMMY, CMA, and ACM Award-winning artist branching out from the “heartbreak girl” title that she’s earned from her catalog thus far and finally exploring the other stories she has to tell.

“I think what this record did is it pushed me. What else do I care about? What else do I believe in? What else are the facets that maybe people don’t know about me? Maybe my closest friends know about me, but others don’t,” she reflects. “And pushing that vulnerability made me more excited, not scared. Just like, let’s go. I didn’t even know I had all this stuff. I’m five records in and I’m like, wait, there’s so much more here. Cool.” 

She went on to tease that the yet-to-be-announced collection will have a more mature sound as she brings more depth into her storytelling. On the other hand, Pearce promises plenty of “bangers” intertwined with the vulnerability.

“I know, I’m starting slow, but I’m just preparing you. We’re getting ready. We’re priming the wheel here. But I go back to my roots of bluegrass music. I touch on some other fun parts of my life, like my dogs and different fun moments of wanting to write a song that belongs in the Grand Ole Opry back in 1950 or getting to collaborate with one of the biggest artists in our format and also one of my childhood heroes. It’s just a lot of stuff,” she hints.

“I’ve recorded more music for this record than I have any other. I just was wildly inspired and wildly in a good place and just kept wanting to do more.”

As the Grand Ole Opry member prepares to spend a good chunk of the year touring overseas with stops across the UK, Ireland, Canada and Australia on the Inside The Dream Tour, she intends to share more and more glimpses into the full-blown record.

“This year is kind of cool in the sense that I’m spending the majority of the beginning overseas, and then I get to come back and do something bigger,” she shares.

A full list of Carly Pearce’s upcoming tour dates can be viewed HERE.