Listen to Carly Pearce and Lee Brice’s Heartbreaking Duet, ‘I Hope You’re Happy Now’

The heartbreaking duet by Carly Pearce and Lee Brice, “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” is out! The song, written by Pearce, along with Luke Combs and hit songwriters Jonathan Singleton and Randy Montana, was inspired by a relationship Pearce ended, so she could begin dating her soon-to-be husband, Michael Ray.

“When Luke and I were in there, I was like, ‘Gosh – remember Reba [McEntire] and Brooks & Dunn, Tim [McGraw] and Faith [Hill], all those songs that just wrecked me back then?’” Pearce told PopCulture.com and other media. “I wanted one of those. I wanted one of those showstopper moments that is a true duet, that makes you hurt.”

Pearce grew up with a deep love of traditional country music, and wanted to return to that style with her new single.

“These are the types of songs – the sonic sound, the way it’s sung, the duet thing – that made me fall in love with country music,” Pearce explained. “It’s that timeless sound that I love, and I just thought it was really important for me to make sure that was what I came with [on this next single].”

Pearce also opened up about the song on social media, calling it one of the most honest songs she has ever released.

“IT’S HERE!” posted Pearce. “Music is truly therapy – One of the most vulnerable stories I’ve shared is finally out. I think we’ve all been on one side of this kind of heartbreak. Thank you [Lee Brice] for singing the CRAP outta this. I hope y’all love it.”

Brice had to record his part on the road, since he wasn’t home in time to sing it in the studio with Pearce. After he sent it to her, Pearce acknowledged it was good, but there was something more that she wanted.

“She basically was like, ‘I love how it sounds, I think it’s gonna be great, but I just miss a little bit of you in it,’” Brice recalled. “I was hearing Luke [in the demo], and Luke killed it, but I was kind of channeling what he was doing because I didn’t know exactly what they wanted. Then when she said that, I was like, ‘Okay, I’ll go back and sing the parts, except just be me and try not to channel Luke as much.’ Which is all it really took, I guess.”

Download “I Hope You’re Happy Now” on iTunes.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Big Machine Records & Curb Records