WATCH: Emotions Run Wild in Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde’s ‘Never Wanted To Be That Girl’ Music Video

“Never Wanted To Be That Girl,” the vulnerable new duet from Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde, comes to life in a just-released music video.

The Alexa Campbell-directed clip follows the parallel lives of Pearce and McBryde, who play the wife and the mistress of a no-good, cheating man. As they come to terms with the life that they’re living, both artists reflect on their past and how they ended up in this position – a place neither of them ever wanted to be. 

“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 shares. 
 
Ashley continued, “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.”

“Never Wanted To Be That Girl” is a dream come true for Pearce, who told Country Now and other reporters about her longtime desire to work with McBryde.

“I have only wanted to write with two of my peers,” Pearce said. “One being Luke Combs, and we wrote “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” and Ashley. I know that Ashley and I are very different, but in a lot of ways, musically and vocally, we are similar.” 

When it was time to write for her newest project, 29: Written In Stone, Pearce did not hesitate to ask McBryde to collaborate with her. 

“We got in the same room, and I was hoping that she would want to write a duet. We had this honest conversation about where else could we go? What was the perspective that hadn’t really been talked about? I think that the sad truth is that no woman wants to find themselves in this situation,” she shared about the storyline of the song. “No matter if you’re the mistress or the wife…I think this is the realization that they are having the exact same feeling in real-time about being burned by the same man, even though they are both innocent.” 

Pearce and McBryde will join forces for the live television debut of “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” during the 55th Annual CMA Awards. Hosted by Luke Bryan, “Country Music’s Biggest Night” will air Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 8/7c on ABC.