For decades, country music fans have loved a good duet. Whether it’s Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, or Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty, the genre is built on artists combining their talents.
Videos by American Songwriter
But in the last decade, several new duets have emerged, ones that will likely be played for years to come. We found four of the best duets in the last 10 years, including some that might be a bit surprising.
“I’m Gonna Love You” by Cody Johnson and Carrie Underwood
Magic happens when two powerhouse vocalists, like Cody Johnson and Carrie Underwood, combine their talents, as they did on “If I Didn’t Love You”. The song, written by Chris Stevens, Kelly Archer, and Travis Denning, is on Johnson’s Leather Deluxe album.
Although the song sounds new, it was actually written years ago, and first pitched to Underwood. She passed at the time, but when Johnson returned years later and asked her to sing on it with him, it was an immediate yes.
“Whenever you are working with a star of Carrie’s caliber, there’s a lot of logistics that go into that as far as timing,” Johnson says. “There was a lot of logistics just to even make sure that we could record the song, period. But I’ve loved this song for a really long time.”
“Where We Started” by Thomas Rhett and Katy Perry
Thomas Rhett sings a duet with Katy Perry on “Where We Started“, the title track of Rhett’s 2022 album. Rhett wrote the song with Perry, Jesse Frasure, Ashley Gorley, and Jon Bellion, inspired by his relationship with his wife, Lauren Akins.
Rehtt shocked fans when he announced he was singing with Perry on the song.
“I think people expected the song to be some crazy hype EDM version of something,” he tells Billboard. “But it’s a beautiful love song that Katy came in and just owned.”
“Never Wanted To Be That Girl” by Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde wrote “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” with Shane McAnally for Pearce’s 2021 Written In Stone album. The song, about a wife and a girlfriend in love with the same man, is a new take on a duet.
“Being the other one when there’s another one / God, this feels like hell,” the two sing together. “Thought I knew who I was, but it’s getting hard to tell / I never wanted to be that girl.”
The song won the pair a Grammy for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.
“Have The Heart” by Dolly Parton and Post Malone
Nothing gives a stamp of approval in country music more than having Dolly Parton sing a duet on an album, which is what happened to Post Malone. Parton joins Post Malone on “Have The Heart”, from his debut country album, F-1 Trillion.
Post Malone wrote the song with Louis Bell, Ryan Vojtesak, Lainey Wilson, Bradley Paisley, and Ashley Gorley. Even better than Parton appearing on the song with him, she is also a fan of the rapper turned country star.
“Post Malone’s always said nice things about me,” she shares. “And I’ve always appreciated it. He’s got such a big heart.
Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.