Two years ago, Luke Combs joined Morgan Wallen onstage at the 2023 BMI Country Awards. Tying for Songwriter of the Year, the two hitmakers swapped songs, with Combs performing “Thought You Should Know,” Wallen’s chart-topping tribute to his mother, Lesli. Since that night, many a country music fan has dreamed of a duet from the pair. Ahead of the 59th annual CMA Awards on Wednesday (Nov. 19), Combs addressed the question still on everyone’s minds.
Videos by American Songwriter
Luke Combs Admits Morgan Wallen Collab Would Need To Be “Perfect”
“We talked about it a couple years ago, and we just, like, haven’t found the song,” the “Fast Car” singer said during a sit-down with Nashville radio outlet WSIX-FM.
Between the two of them, Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen boast a whopping 39 No. 1 country music hits—which sets the bar for a collab almost impossibly high.
“I feel like there would be a lot of pressure on the song to be, like, perfect. And if it wasn’t right, it could just go terribly,” Combs said. “Like, ‘We waited all this time and it’s such a letdown.”
Still, the “Back in the Saddle” crooner, 35, is open to the idea. However, it makes sense that neither artist wants to force a collaboration. But when they do find that song, it will most likely “top the charts and sit there for years,” according to one Instagram user.
The dynamic duo scored three nominations apiece at last night’s CMA Awards, but both walked away winless. While Wallen did not attend the ceremony, Combs took the stage twice, performing his No. 1 single “Back in the Saddle” before joining rapper BigXthaPlug for their crossover collab “Pray Hard.”
A Surprising Revelation
Luke Combs’ still-untitled sixth album, due in early 2026, contains just one collab with another artist (who is clearly not Morgan Wallen.) Speaking with Audacy’s Katie Neal ahead of the CMA Awards, the two-time Entertainer of the Year admitted that his peers are not exactly lining up to work with him.
“I’ll be honest with you, I reached out to a couple people and they were like, ‘Don’t wanna do a collab with you,” Combs said.
He continued, “And I’ve said no to a million myself, so it’s not… I was like, ‘Okay, I can respect it.’ And one of the songs ended up not making the record, because it needs someone else on it, and I didn’t get someone.”
Featured image by Erika Goldring/Getty Images for BMI
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.