“It’s the Most Honest Music I’ve Ever Made”: Carly Pearce Reveals Her Fifth Album Is Finished

Carly Pearce just revealed major news at CMA Fest. During a chat with Lady A’s Hillary Scott, Pearce announced that her forthcoming fifth album is already complete.

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The LP was not one that was easy for Pearce to make. Before she started writing the record, Pearce admitted she was feeling “a little less inspired” and wondering, “Does anybody care anymore?”

That feeling was borne out of Pearce’s experience of having “a lot of really high highs” followed by some serious lows in the last few years. One such example came when Pearce and Chris Stapleton won a CMT Award for their duet “We Don’t Fight Anymore,” and then she failed to get any ACM nominations the following day.

“In 12 hours I went from feeling like I’m everything to learn nothing,” Pearce said. “If I’m honest that has been a struggle for me in the last few years.”

As such, Pearce “had to go re-fall in love with music” before she could get to work on new songs.

“I had to stop focusing on followers, and likes, and chart numbers, and awards, and all of that, and I had to go back to the five year old that wanted to do this,” she said. “I had to go find her again, because I lost her.”

Carly Pearce Teases Her Forthcoming Album

The result of that, Pearce said, “is the most honest music” she’s ever made.

“It is me being very proud to be a woman, not trying to reverse time and dim my light of saying I’m 36 and proud of it,” she said. “I think especially as women, we feel ashamed of our age, and I want it to be celebrated. I think every stage of your life is worthy and beautiful.”

After that realization, Pearce was able to make her “favorite album that I’ve ever made.” That’s the case because she was able to craft it on her own terms.

“[I was] totally thinking about five year old me,” she said. “I found my love of music again. I found that having life experience doesn’t make something wrong with you.
It’s a strength.”

Presently, Pearce said she is “truly living in the best season of my life.”

“Thirty-five was a very pivotal year for me. I found the love of my life. I found true happiness in me, in a season where people tell you, as a woman, if you’re 35 and single, there’s something wrong with you. There ain’t nothing wrong,” she said. “I really feel like this season is the best.” 


As for what fans can expect from the album, Pearce said, “I feel like people at this point feel like they know everything about me, but there’s a whole other side of me that a lot of people don’t know. It was fun to get to try to find that. I think there’s a lot of that on this record.”

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