A twangy, acoustic pop song in the same vein as a Dan & Shay hit, Ed Sheeran's original version of "Life Goes On" on new album - (pronounced "Subtract") suited country radio and the 2023 ACM Awards stage as-was. Plus, it's inspired by the 2022 death of one of Sheeran's dear friends, DJ and entrepreneur Jamal Edwards, making it an example of the earnest songwriting that's tempted the "Shape of You" singer to enter the country music arena.
Sheeran didn't leave well enough alone, though. Luke Combs surprised the ACM's in-person and viewing audience by turning Sheeran's live rendition of "Life Goes On" into a cross-genre duet. A crossover star in his own right, Combs' voice meshed with that of Sheeran as they swapped verses and harmonized on the chorus.
After the duet, Sheeran told ACM Awards co-host Garth Brooks that he'd been friends with Combs for five years. Sheeran and Combs performed together live at least once before: a March 2022 duet of Sheeran's "Dive."
At midnight, a studio version featuring Combs hit streaming services.
Sheeran lived in Nashville in 2013 and 2018. Nowadays, he listens to country radio constantly with his spouse, Cherry Seaborn.
"I'd never really listened to country music as a kid growing up," Sheeran told Billboard. "It was only being on Taylor's Red tour and living in Nashville and her basically introducing me to that side of it."
The unadvertised team-up came just one segment after Combs and his band slayed "Love You Anyway," the first single off his recent album Gettin' Old.
An Entertainer of the Year and Male Artist of the Year nominee, Combs nabbed additional headlines by appearing on the red carpet with his spouse, Nicole Hocking, for the first time since the couple announced in March that they're expecting their second child.
