Cody Johnson just recorded a duet with Carrie Underwood. The Texan shared the news while chatting with CMT‘s Cody Alan, ahead of this weekend’s CMT Music Awards.
“I actually just recorded a duet with her yesterday for my new album coming out,” Johnson reveals. “And getting to know her — man, she’s such a pro and everybody that she surrounds herself with are all very professional, as well. So I don’t mean this to sound bad, but it’s kind of hard to compete with that.”
Johnson released Human: The Double Album in 2021. The record included “‘Til You Can’t,” which became his first No. 1, platinum-selling single, and earned him two CMA Awards, for both Music Video of the Year and Single of the Year. The success of the project, which also includes his current Top 15 single, “Human,” makes Johnson more determined than ever to make his new set of tunes better than ever.
“In the back of your mind, you think about it,” Johnson tells Taste of Country. “Because it’s no different than a bronc rider who goes out and gets 90 points. Well, he wants to do 90 points every night. But you’re not gonna be able to do 90 points every single night. There’s too many variables. And the music business is the same way.”
When Johnson recorded “‘Til You Can’t,” he had no idea that it would be the song that changed his entire career. It’s a mindset he holds onto as he works on his new album.
“The way we we recorded ”Til You Can’t’ was, we weren’t chasing a radio hit,” Johnson explains. “We weren’t trying to win awards — we were just trying to create music that moves people and tell a story that changes people’s lives. So when we go into the next one — I believe this, I always have and always will — go into the studio and let the song be what it wants to be … If it needs to be slow and sad, let it be slow and sad. If it needs to be upbeat and inspiring, let it be that.”
Johnson is nominated for three CMT Music Awards. The father of two is nominated for Male Video of the Year and Video of the Year, both for “Human,” as well as CMT Performance of the Year, for his “‘Til You Can’t” performance from the 2022 CMT Music Awards.
The CMT Music Awards will air live from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas on Sunday, April 2. The show will air on CBS. The CMT Music Awards are fan-voted. Voting for the Video of the Year is available at Vote.CMT.com.