Jordan Davis Teases First Major Performance Of ‘Ain’t A Bad Life’ With Thomas Rhett At ACM Awards [Exclusive]

Jordan Davis is gearing up for the television debut of “Ain’t A Bad Life” alongside his longtime friend, Thomas Rhett. The pair are set to take the stage during the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday to deliver a performance of the chart-topping hit.

Moments before rehearsal, Davis spoke with Country Now about getting the chance to bring the feel-good duet to the ACM Awards stage.

“[Our] first big performance,” Davis teased. “I was able to play with him in Nashville. He did a little pop up a couple weeks ago. But man, I’ve just loved this song since the second he played it and Thomas is obviously a really good friend. So us getting to do it together on such an awesome award show is going to be awesome.”

Davis said the plan is to bring the fun-loving energy of the song to the stage, although he admitted he’ll have a better idea of what the performance will look like after rehearsal.

“I just kind of told him, I was like, ‘Man, I’ll do whatever you want to do. If you want to play guitar, let’s do it.’ But yeah, this song to me is kind of more fun to roam around… I haven’t got a chance to rehearse it yet, so we’ll see how it goes,” he explained.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Country Now (@countrynow)

“Ain’t A Bad Life” marked Davis’ 10th No. 1 hit and Rhett’s 25th chart-topper. Davis says sharing that milestone with one of his closest friends makes the achievement even more meaningful.

“I think whenever I found out that it went number one, I sent him a message kind of saying that. It’s like outside of the song, I’m more honored to have it with such a good dude. Thomas has been such a role model to me and a guy that I’ve always been able to call and talk to. So that’s kind of more special to be able to look back and us always have this song together. It’s pretty cool.”

Davis will be joined on Sunday’s red carpet by his wife, Kristen, making the evening a rare date night for the couple and one of their first times away from their youngest daughter, Sadie, who was born last July.

He shared that his dad is back home helping keep their four children entertained “so bedtime’s easier” for their nanny.

“This will be a good night for us to kind of hang and enjoy an awesome show,” he said.

Hosted by Shania Twain, the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards will take place on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The show will stream live exclusively on Prime Video beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT for viewers in more than 240 countries and territories. 

Jordan Davis’ appearance at the ACM Awards comes as his latest single, “Turn This Truck Around” enters the top 5 at country radio.