Jimmie Allen Discusses Noah Cyrus’ CMT Awards Outfit: ‘We All Have a Right to Live’ (Exclusive)

Jimmie Allen and Noah Cyrus took the stage during the CMT Music Awards in Nashville last month to perform their duet “This Is Us,” with Allen in a sparkling silver jacket, black leather pants and a black cowboy hat and Cyrus in a nude rhinestoned outfit, white boots, long white gloves and a rhinestoned cowboy hat. The video of the pair’s performance remains the most-viewed on YouTube from the show and made it on the website’s trending list, but there were some who criticized Cyrus for her ensemble.

Speaking to PopCulture.com, Allen noted that music and fashion go hand in hand and clothes can be a key part of a performance. “I’m all about fashion,” he said. “So many people just want to focus on the song and that’s great when it’s just a recording, and some people just want to focus on the show, but part of the show is everything. Fashion is a big part of it. And it’s funny how people will talk about a jacket I wore, and Noah wearing this and this, compared to old school country.”

The Delaware native pointed out that beginning in the ’50s, country singers started wearing rhinestone-encrusted Nudie Suits, named after tailor Nudie Cohn. “They was wearing sparkle jackets and full-on rhinestones since back in the day,” Allen said. “That was a thing, and people just forget that. Everybody has their own opinion of what they want to wear and what they don’t want to wear, what they like or what they don’t like. That’s fine. That never really bothered us. It’s all good. It’s their opinion. We all have a right to live.”

During a new interview with KMLE 107.9’s Gunner & Cheyenne, Allen pointed out that Cyrus’ performance outfit wasn’t any less revealing than what some people wear to the beach.

“I loved it,” he said. “I look at it like this, what people miss a lot of times is the entertainment business and the entertainment doesn’t stop when it gets to what you wear. [Noah] had more clothes on than people do at the beach, and you take your kids to the beach…. Entertainment is all about getting people to talk about the moment, and that outfit she wore caused people to talk about the moment.”

Cyrus wrote “This Is Us” with Florida Georgia Line‘s Tyler Hubbard, Dernst Emile II, Ilsey Juber and Jordan Schmidt, with Allen’s manager having sent him the song. “When I heard it I was like, ‘Yeah, let me get on that!’” he recalled. “I was like, ‘Man, if people actually gave this song a chance… I think it could do alright.’”