Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde took the stage at the 2023 Grammys on Sunday night to make country music history. The pair, who took home the Grammy for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for their duet "Never Wanted To Be That Girl," became the first pair of women to earn the award since its inception. Additionally, the win marked the first Grammy Award for both singers individually, making it even more of a milestone for each artist.
The song, which appears on Pearce's 2021 album 29: Written in Stone, is sung from the point of view of two women who unknowingly become "the other woman" in an extramarital affair, both telling their sides from the same relationship. Pearce and McBryde sing about how they "never wanted" to be the woman on the side or the woman in that situation, and unpack feelings of shame and guilt as part of the situation.
https://twitter.com/carlypearce/status/1622383645863583745
Pearce took to her Twitter account following the win, writing "WROTE A REAL COUNTRY SONG WITH MY FRIEND AND WE WON OUR FIRST GRAMMY. I have no words. Zero. None. More later. I love you @AshleyMcBryde."
McBryde wrote her own tweet in response to Pearce: "@carlypearce remember that time we wrote us a song because we really wanted to sing together? And then it sent us on all kinds of adventures? And then we won a freaking GRAMMY?! GAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"
McBryde told People that the song was a "wonderful thing" for her friendship with Pearce. "I was like, 'This is a little soon, and this is a little close to home for you, and if we're being honest, it's a little close to home for me,'" McBryde said.
"And she [Pearce] said, 'I think we should do it,'" McBryde continued. She added that she was already a fan of Pearce.
With the Grammy under the duo's belt, it looks as if we might be able to look forward to more music from the pair.
