The ACM Awards kept the surprises coming with an unlikely duo. Nate Smith and Avril Lavigne took the stage to perform Smith’s new single “Bulletproof,” which dropped today, May 16. The single is actually a reworked version of the song that was released in February this year, adding Lavigne as a featured vocalist.
The performance opened on a backdrop made to look like the inside of a bar. Smith took the stage alone at first, but was then joined by Lavigne. The pair looked to be having a great time as they performed, with Lavigne still possessing the vocal talents she did in 2002.
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Smith took to social media to announce the single before the awards show, writing, “Feels damn good to release this new badass version and couldn’t think of a better person to reimagine this song than an icon like Avril!!”
“Bulletproof” is a follow-up to his No. 1 single “World on Fire.” Both tracks were featured on his Through the Smoke EP, which dropped last month. Additionally, Smith was also named Amazon Music’s Breakthrough Artist. Breland, who has also received the title, introduced Nate Smith and announced the honor.
Nate Smith On the Use of Fire in His Music Following 2018 Wildfire Disaster
Previously this year, Smith celebrated his second No. 1 single, “World On Fire,” which was a response to the real-life wildfire that destroyed Smith’s hometown of Paradise, California in 2018. Fire is a running theme in his music. His life was greatly affected by the disaster, as he has previously spoken about.
“If you told me in 2018 that right now I’d be celebrating not my first but my second No.1 at country radio, I wouldn’t have believed it,” Smith told Billboard in January. “In December 2018, I was absolutely devastated from the fact that my hometown of Paradise, California had just been destroyed by a fire. I had nothing left to my name, but friends and family came around and helped push me forward.”
Featured Image by Danielle Del Valle/Getty Images
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