Kane Brown had a special guest on stage during his show at the North Dakota State Fair on July 31, bringing a 6-year-old fan named Taya to the stage during his set for a performance of his duet with Lauren Alaina, “What Ifs.” In videos shared by Taya’s mom, Cherisse, the 6-year-old stands with Brown on the catwalk of the stage, a microphone in her hand as she prepares to sing.
“You ready? [Because] there’s a long intro before the song starts, where we usually get pretty hype,” Brown said. Once the song started, Taya nailed all of Alaina’s parts, earning cheers and support from the crowd and a high-five from Brown. “What Ifs” was released in 2017 as the second single from Brown’s debut album and became a major hit, hitting the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and No. 26 on the all-genre Hot 100. It also went to No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, ending the then-record breaking run of Sam Hunt’s “Body Like a Back Road.”
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Along with the “Heaven” singer, Cherisse’s Instagram page shows that Taya has previously met multiple country stars including Alaina and Cole Swindell. Brown’s recent performances are a precursor to his upcoming Blessed & Free Tour, which launches in October and will visit 29 NBA arenas in the United States, as well as several additional dates. The 27-year-old recently told CBS Miami that it “feels amazing” to be back on the road.
“It’s been over a year since you’ve been on tour just been trying to figure out things to do and I was writing songs,” he reflected. “When we were putting out our tour schedule, we weren’t sure or we were nervous if it was gonna happen, nobody knew, so we’re just happy to be out there with the fans.”
Brown rocketed to country stardom after first gaining fame on social media, and despite his many accomplishments, he’s focused on moving forward. “This has been amazing for me, I haven’t really looked at anything or taken in any of my accomplishments,” he said. “Even in the year off, I haven’t sat back and taken it all in. I’m just trying to work hard and keep growing.”
