Cody Johnson and Carrie Underwood have a Top 10 hit with “I’m Gonna Love You.” The two performed the song live together, during the second of Johnson’s two back-to-back sold-out shows at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on February 14 and 15, as part of his Leather Deluxe Tour. Johnson was joined by Marcus King and Randy Houser for the first night, with Underwood joining him for the second night, along with Luke Combs and Ian Munsick.
“Two SOLD OUT shows in Nashville. 30,000 people. Absolutely unreal. Dreams do come true, y’all,” Johnson said after the second show.
“I’m Gonna Love You” is from Johnson’s latest Leather Deluxe Edition album, out in November. Written by Travis Denning, Kelly Archer and Chris Stevens, Denning first pitched the song to Underwood as a duet with him, years ago, along with the opportunity for her to record it on her own.
@musicmayhemmagazine.com @Carrie Underwood surprised the sold-out crowd tonight during @Cody Johnson’s second night at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville to perform their collaboration, “I’m Gonna Love You.” #CarrieUnderwood #CodyJohnson #CoJo #CoJoNation #CarrieUnderwoodFan #CodyJohnsonConcert #codyjohnsonlive #ImGonnaLoveYou #Duet #Collaboration #Nashville #NashvilleTN #NashvilleTennessee #MusicCity #ThatsNashvilleForYa #SoldOut #LeatherDeluxeTour #LeatherTour ♬ original sound – Music Mayhem
“I thought it was a beautiful song, but I felt like it might be better for a male artist to sing,” Underwood told Billboard. “Plus it didn’t really fit with the direction of where my new album at the time was going.”
But when Johnson came to her with the idea of doing the song together a few years later, Underwood loved the idea. It was also her idea to record the song live, together in the studio.
“I did my part; I did my vocal part, and we had it done,” Johnson recently shared with Everything Nash and other outlets at a recent media event. “When she came into the studio, she did her part, and we’re listening back to it. We both kind of had this look like it just didn’t hit you. It didn’t slap you in the face like I thought it would.”
“She’s like, ‘I think we should sing it live. Let’s just go in and sing it live together. So, glass between the two microphones. Well now, we’re singing in church,” he continued, revealing that the version on the radio is a live take of the romantic duet. “It was weird because that was the first time Carrie and I ever sang together, and it was perfect family harmony. I think that speaks to the caliber of vocalist that she is, really.”
“I’m Gonna Love You” was supposed to be on his original Leather album. But when the timing wasn’t quite right for Underwood to have a duet out, Johnson agreed to wait for his Leather Deluxe Edition instead, timing that he now says couldn’t have been better.
“We couldn’t put it on the first part, and that killed me, because I was like, ‘I want the world to hear this,” Johnson admitted. “But in retrospect, I think it turned out better to wait. I gave this second Deluxe Edition just a little bit more flair. I don’t think it would have been as special if it had been on the first part.”
Find “I’m Gonna Love You” and all of Johnson’s music and upcoming shows at CodyJohnsonMusic.com.
Photo Credit: Jay Trevino