Fans Were Speechless When Ashley McBryde Revealed the Real Reason She Almost Didn’t Record the Grammy-Winning Duet With Carly Pearce.

Ashley McBryde and Carly Pearce Celebrate Grammy Win and Deepening Friendship

Ashley McBryde and Carly Pearce had plenty to celebrate after taking home the Grammy for Best Country Duo/Group Performance at Sunday’s awards ceremony.

The duo won for their chart-topping single “Never Wanted to Be That Girl,” featured on Pearce’s album 29: Written in Stone. McBryde reflected on the song’s impact, calling it a “wonderful thing for our friendship.”

The track tells the story of two women discovering they’ve been involved with the same man, each confronting the betrayal from their own perspective.

Speaking to PEOPLE’s Janine Rubenstein and Jeremy Parsons on the red carpet, McBryde credited their openness during the writing session for making the song what it is.

“We were both in a really honest space,” McBryde said. “I told her, ‘This feels a little raw for you, and to be fair, it hits close to home for me, too.’”

Pearce was all in. “She just said, ‘I think we should go there.’” McBryde added that she’s been a “huge fan” of Pearce for a long time.

Pearce, who was previously married to country singer Michael Ray, told the hosts that both she and McBryde had lived through situations like the one in the song. “We’ve both been on either side of that story,” she said. “She’s my country sister. What we’ve built is a really genuine love and respect for each other.”

“When we wrote the song, it came from a real place,” Pearce explained. “It bonded us.”

She also noted that their collaboration may have seemed unexpected to some. “We’re kind of an odd pair, and maybe nobody saw us teaming up — and I liked that element of surprise.”

For McBryde, one of the most unexpected fan responses was appreciation for the song’s emotional maturity. “I didn’t think I’d hear this, but fans were saying, ‘Thank you for not tearing each other down or using harsh words.’”

McBryde is also nominated for Best Country Album with Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville.

The 2023 Grammy Awards aired live Sunday night on CBS and Paramount+ from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.