Carly Pearce is preparing for her next chapter.
On Thursday, the country superstar wiped her Instagram clean and posted an intimate black-and-white video announcing her latest album, 29.
The CMA Award-winner has gone through several personal and professional ups and downs over the past few years, with the devastating loss of her producer busbee in 2019 followed by her divorce to fellow country singer Michael Ray in 2020.
“Losing busbee was such a moment of upheaval,” explains the singer. “He had believed in me…carried me… brought me through everyone getting deals around me… because he knew something, I couldn’t see that it would happen.”
She continues: “I feel lighter reflecting on the last year and pouring my soul into this music and wanted to share it in hopes that others to will take from the songs what they need. With streaming and social media, we were able record music for the sole purpose of letting my fans know where my heart is without any expectations. That’s a kind of immediacy that makes making records really exciting. I can’t wait to share 29.”
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Working alongside some of Nashville’s biggest songwriters, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, the new project sees Pearce returning to her ’90s country roots as the girl who grew up idolizing female artists such as Trisha Yearwood and Faith Hill.
“The best songs come from the moment, from real creative spark – and Josh and Shane bring it out of me,” says the singer. “I was unsure where my music would be without busbee. They both know where my musical heart is, and they understand how to capture exact details for much larger truths. The more specific they write, the more people I think can see themselves in the songs.”
With her debut chart-topper “Every Little Thing” and CMA Award-winning “I Hope You’re Happy Now”, the 30-year-old has made her mark in today’s country music as one of the genre’s most promising young female artists.
The seven-track project includes her latest single “Next Girl”, in which she gives a warning to her ex’s new girlfriend.
“If you listen to any of my music and you listen to the stories and the way that I tell just my stories through songs, I think that’s always been a huge part of it, is being honest and being authentic,” she told ET Canada of the song. “This new music and ‘Next Girl’ is no different than that.”
See the full track list below:
1. “Next Girl” | Carly Pearce, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
2. “Should’ve Known Better” | Carly Pearce, Jordan Reynolds, Emily Shackelton
3. “29” | Carly Pearce, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
4. “Liability” | Carly Pearce, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
5. “Messy” | Carly Pearce, Sarah Buxton, Jimmy Robbins*
6. “Show Me Around” | Carly Pearce, Emily Shackelton, Ben West
7. “Day One” | Carly Pearce, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Matthew Ramsey
29 arrives Feb. 19 and is available for pre-order here.
