Carly Pearce‘s “What He Didn’t Do” is officially a No. 1 hit. The song, which Pearce wrote with Ashley Gorley and Emily Shackleton,, was written about the end of her marriage to Michael Ray, the final single from her autobiographical 29: Written in Stone album.
Pearce shared the exciting news on social media.
“WHAT HE DIDNT DO IS #1!!!!” Pearce writes. “When I wrote this song, I needed to be reminded of my worth & that I deserved better— and y’all have shown me that I DO matter. This season of my life started so painful, and is ending so beautiful. What a way to end the 29 chapter.”
WHAT HE DIDNT DO IS #1!!!! When I wrote this song, I needed to be reminded of my worth & that I deserved better— and y’all have shown me that I DO matter. This season of my life started so painful, and is ending so beautiful. What a way to end the 29 chapter 🥹♥️🙏 pic.twitter.com/YO887DPhGj
— Carly Pearce (@carlypearce) March 26, 2023
Pearce is hard at work on a new album, this one with less heartbreak and more love songs than 29: Written in Stone. Still, the Grand Ole Opry member says fans can still expect honest, raw, truthful songs, even as she is now happily in love with Riley King.
“I think a lot of people think that because I’m happy in a relationship, that I’m just going to come out with a bunch of love songs,” she tells Audacy’s Katie & Company. “And that’s just not my vibe. That’s not what I do. I think that there’s a lot of struggle that comes with trying to love after somebody hurt you. And I think that that is like a piece of a person’s story that hasn’t really been hit on a little bit.”
By her own admission, the success of 29: Written in Stone became a double-edged sword. The entire project catapulted her into a new level of success, including her first Grammy Awards win, while also knowing that her next record had to continue the story.
“It was very hard because I felt a lot of pressure to top 29, and I was like, ‘Well, I don’t have a lot of chaos in my life right now.’ Things are pretty stable. I would look at my boyfriend sometimes and be like, ‘Can you just, like, yell at me?’”
Pearce hints that her new single might not be the perfect love story that people might expect, especially as she shares heartfelt posts about King on social media.
“I think the song that I’m coming out with, people will be surprised because it’s not sunshine and rainbows,” teases the singer.
Pearce’s 29: Written in Stone (Live From Music City) is out now. Find all of Pearce’s music and upcoming shows at CarlyPearce.com.