Re-Live Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde’s ‘Never Wanted To Be That Girl’ Performance

Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde brought their duet to life during the 57th Academy Of Country Music Awards on Monday evening (Mar. 7).

The female powerhouses teamed up for a stripped-down version of their vulnerable duet, “Never Wanted To Be That Girl,” which was crowned ACM Music Event of the Year earlier in the evening. 

Co-written by the duet partners alongside Shane McAnally, “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” appears on Pearce’s latest album, 29: Written In Stone.

“What’s interesting about this song is we could have gone to a place of blame on the others in the love triangle, but we turned it inward. It’s unique that two women who never meet are getting burned by the same man and having the exact same feelings. We intentionally kept the chorus the same to reflect that neither wanted to be in this position,” Pearce previously shared.

Ashley added, “so many of us know how it is when you go back and start putting all of those pieces together. That moment when you realize the gut punch of the situation. This song isn’t really about being the other woman or even being messed around on as much as it’s about these two people who are exhibiting behaviors they normally wouldn’t – checking text messages, making excuses for why their dates are only on Tuesdays – and realizing it’s all because of the same person.”

.@carlypearce and @AshleyMcBryde are tugging on our heartstrings tonight. Talk about a great duet! You can’t miss this one and so much more on @PrimeVideo now. #ACMawards pic.twitter.com/WikWBccu1Z

— ACM Awards (@ACMawards) March 8, 2022

The 57th Academy of Country Music Awards aired on Monday, March 7, exclusively on Prime Video at 8/7c. 

Co-hosted by global icon Dolly Parton with Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett, the two-hour show livestreamed without commercials and featured 20+ performances from some of country music’s hottest superstars and rising newcomers.

The performance lineup included Parker McCollum and Lainey Wilson, who were crowned this year’s New Male and New Female Artist of the Year, respectively as well as Barrett, Allen, Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Walker Hayes, Maren Morris, Brothers Osborne, Thomas Rhett, Chris Stapleton, Chris Young, Lady A and Kelly Clarkson.

“The concert event of the year” also included several collaborations, including Parton featuring Kelsea Ballerini (“Big Dreams & Faded Jeans”), BRELAND featuring Thomas Rhett (“Praise The Lord”), Jordan Davis (“Buy Dirt,” feat. Luke Bryan), Brothers Osborne and Brittney Spencer (“These Boots Are Made for Walkin’”), Parmalee and Blanco Brown featuring Brooke Eden (“Just the Way”), Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde (“Never Wanted to Be That Girl”), and Chris Young featuring Mitchell Tenpenny (“At the End of a Bar”).

The 2022 ACM Awards presenters included Alan Ritchson (actor, Reacher), Derek Carr (quarterback, Las Vegas Raiders), Guy Torry (comedian, Phat Tuesdays), James Patterson (author, Run Rose Run), Jason Aldean, Kelsey Asbille (actor, Yellowstone), Luke Grimes (actor, Yellowstone), Mickey Guyton, and Tom Pelphrey (actor, Outer Range).

The ACM Awards made history as the first major awards show to livestream exclusively as it streamed live on Prime Video in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.