Music

Aldean was a somewhat surprising addition to the CMT Music Awards performance lineup, given the controversy nearly a year ago when his video for “Try That in a Small Town” was pulled from CMT’s rotation when critics suggested the song and video endorsed racism and vilified the Black Lives Matter movement. But on Sunday night, Aldean powered through a different song from his album Highway Desperado with “Let Your Boys Be Country,” in an outdoor performance in front of the UT Tower. Aldean led with an expected mix of searing rock guitar riffs and lyrics celebrating rural living, though his vocals sounded slightly muddied and overpowered. Still, it was a testament to the enduring power of the blend of rock-powered country his fans have come to expect.

Hunt sang his new song “Locked Up,” the title track to his newly released EP and a song seemingly inspired by his own brief DUI arrest in 2019, as well as his relational ups and downs and eventual reconciliation with wife Hannah Lee Fowler. “Locked Up” is an ode to a woman who stays by his side even when he’s in jail. His CMT Music Awards performance featured Hunt clad in black attire and performing under a sign emblazoned with “Welcome Sam Hunt.” The performance seemed aimed at evoking memories of late country star Johnny Cash’s famous prison performances, including those at Folsom Prison and San Quentin, as actors, dressed as prisoners, huddled close to the stage in front of Hunt during his set.

Old Dominion and Moroney previously performed “Can’t Break Up Now” at November’s CMA Awards and reprised their performance during Sunday night’s CMT Music Awards. This time around, they sounded more surefooted in their vocal collaboration, though as with a few performances during the evening, the vocals sounded overpowered by the instruments at times.

Over on the outdoor stage, in a performance often accented by fireworks, Zimmerman offered a power-rock edge with his current song “Where It Ends,” which is in the top 15 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart. The track follows his Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit “Rock and a Hard Place.” Zimmerman’s energetic performance style was on full display, marking his emergence as one of country music’s brightest newcomers, while the song delved into post-breakup emotional wreckage, which has become a core tenet in many of Zimmerman’s hits.

Over the past several weeks, Dasha earned billions of views on TikTok for her breakthrough hit “Austin,” a sharp-witted skewering of a wayward ex, set to an irresistibly danceable groove that has taken social media and streaming by storm. Dasha, who recently inked a label deal with Warner Records, offered up her first CMT Music Awards performance with a heavily choreographed performance of the song, flanked by eight dancers. Though Dasha’s vocal seemed ever-so-slightly nervous at times, her overall performance was confident, fun and flirty — making it a perfect fit for the CMT Music Awards, as she had seemingly everyone in the room on their feet singing along to the tale of a woman who leaves her ex “drunk, washed up in Austin.”

Brooks & Dunn, Lainey Wilson and Sammy Hagar spearheaded a Toby Keith salute during the CMT Music Awards, joining Keith’s longtime backing band while paying homage to the late legend, who died on Feb. 5 at age 62. Keith’s children — Krystal, Shelly and Stelen — were in the audience.

Brooks & Dunn performed 1993’s “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” Keith’s solo-written debut No. 1 Country Airplay hit, though it seemed the duo struggled at times with some of the lyrics. Hagar, wearing a shirt emblazoned with “Toby” and “Forever a Sooner,” shared his memories of the times he shared with Keith in Cabo San Lucas, before performing an energetic, rousing rendition of Keith’s 2003 hit “I Love This Bar.” Wilson kept the energy in the room flowing with a rendering of Keith’s 1999 hit “How Do You Like Me Now?!” The tribute concluded with all the performers returning to the stage and raising their red Solo cups in tribute, while baseball pitcher and Keith’s longtime friend Roger Clemens led them in saying, “Whiskey for my men and beer for my horses” (a line from Keith’s 2002 collaboration with Willie Nelson) and taking a drink in honor of Keith.

Keith, who earned 20 No. 1 Country Airplay hits — and either wrote or co-wrote many of them — will be posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame later this year.

NEEDTOBREATHE, which has notched three No. 1 top rock albums, paired with four-time Country Airplay chart-leader Davis to preview their upcoming CMT Crossroads episode with a mash-up of their respective hits: NEEDTOBREATHE’s “Brother” and Davis’ “Next Thing You Know.” The pairing gave an extra shot of heft and propulsion to “Next Thing,” thanks to the band’s harmonies, while Davis’ voice leaned into its husky tones for “Brother,” offering a top-notch companion to the band’s lead singer Bear Rinehart. Trading off harmonies and verses, Davis and the band sounded perfectly blended, with a lived-in sound, as if they have collaborated for years.

Ballerini pulled double duty as host and performer during the CMT Music Awards. Her performance offered a tribute to the decade that has elapsed since the release of her debut single “Love Me Like You Mean It.” Dressed in a glittery gold ensemble, Ballerini offered up a slowed-down, slightly sultry recalibration of the song, one marked by synths and a full-on pop tilt that not only suited the song well, but highlighted Ballerini’s artistic evolution as a vocalist, songwriter and performer over the past 10 years. Meanwhile, the audience in the outdoor performance also glowed, thanks to wristbands that lit with soft golden hues.

Urban performed “Straight Line,” a brightly toned, uptempo track from his upcoming album. Clad in a vintage George Jones T-shirt and black jeans, Urban offered up a bubbly, energetic track and positive perspective that proved a perfect fit for the CMTs, and he heightened the performance by welcoming two female entertainers — guitarists/vocalists Maggie Baugh and Anna Vaus — to join him to close out the song.

Moroney offered up her new release, the ballad “No Caller ID.” All a-sparkle in a blue dress and equally glitzy guitar, she performed on a satellite stage inside the venue and commanded with a subtle yet cinematic performance. Moroney’s signature voice, slightly husky, cracks in all the right places, drawing out the song’s dramatic, emotional edges, as she sings of wrestling with a post-breakup heart that’s almost healed, when in comes that inevitable call from an ex-lover.

McCollum was joined by Spencer for a smoldering rendition of his reigning Country Airplay No. 1 “Burn It Down.” As fire burned in the background, they melded liquid-smooth harmonies and traded off verses, with Spencer finding moments within the song to let loose with superb vocal runs. The highlight came as the song came to a close, and they stood close, facing each other and singing as one.

Notably, Spencer is featured on the song “Blackbiird” from Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter project, and released her debut full-length project My Stupid Life earlier this year.

Lainey Wilson is everywhere, and the CMT Music Awards were no exception. She was both performer and award winner this evening (winning female video of the year for “Watermelon Moonshine”). For her performance of “Country’s Cool Again,” Wilson strutted through the crowd, clad in a leather vest and bell bottoms, as she performed what was essentially a calling card for country music’s domination over the past year–a surge in which Wilson as been a key component. Throughout the song, she navigated the majority of the stage in the venue, greeting fans and fellow performers alike, pausing to share a moment with her “Save Me” collaborator and labelmate Jelly Roll along the way. Over the past few years, Wilson’s work ethic has been hard to surmount, while her slate of performances have clearly fashioned a performer who has grown comfortable with her headlining status, in terms of seemingly effortlessly connecting with a crowd and putting on a high-energy show, regardless of the circumstances surrounding the performance–awards show, headlining show, or any other performance type. After the last utterance of “again” to wind down the song, she tipped her hat to the camera and strutted offstage, looking every bit the poised, confident, established entertainer.

Appropriately, Texan star Johnson opened the show with a high-octane, ’90s country-esque nod to the Lone Star State with “That’s Texas,” a song from his recently released album Leather. The song and performance feted everything Texas, including George Strait, fiddles, Robert Earl Keen and the sweltering Texas heat, as Johnson prowled the stage, whipping the crowd into a show-opening frenzy, flanked by his “CJB” band. He briefly altered the lyrics to nod to “the CMTs,” while “Texas” was emblazoned on the massive screens behind him, as well as images of the state’s wide open spaces.

The electric performance was one that led host Ballerini to later say, “That’s how you kick it off in Texas!” Indeed.

Last year, Jelly Roll had a star-making moment at the CMT Music Awards, taking home the most wins of the evening. This year, he continued dominating the ceremony by taking home three awards wins (including the coveted video of the year honor) and had a key performance slot, closing out the show with a fiery performance of “Halfway to Hell.” At once engaging, unfiltered and earnest, it was clear from the jump why the heavily-tattooed, Antioch, Tennessee, native has become a beloved figure to many in country music’s wider spectrum of fans, including often-overlooked, marginalized communities. Flanked by fiery pyrotechnics, Jelly Roll delivered a performance that was part rock anthem, part soulful confession and part impassioned sermon. He sang of trailer parks, bibles, tattoos and snuck in a nod to Merle Haggard. Whether one was watching in the audience or on-screen, Jelly’s full-throttle vocal and engaging personality were undeniable.

Trisha Yearwood was feted for her philanthropic efforts as the recipient of the inaugural June Carter Cash Humanitarian Award earlier in the evening, and returned to the stage to perform a song she co-wrote, “Put It in a Song,” from her upcoming album. Appropriately, the composition celebrates the power of pouring pain, memories and emotions through the vessels of pen and paper into a song. Three-time Grammy winner Yearwood was joined onstage by her co-writers, Erin Enderlin and Jim “Moose” Brown. The low-key, acoustic rendering placed the spotlight on the song’s message and Yearwood’s always magnificent vocal performance.

Little Big Town and Sugarland gave a preview of their upcoming 2024 joint tour, with a rendering of Phil Collins’ “Take Me Home.” The performance marked the 25-year anniversary of Little Big Town’s launch, and the reunion of Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush. In the process, they gave one of the CMT Music Awards’ most towering vocal moments. Courtesy of two of country music’s best-known harmony outfits joining forces, the layers of vocals sounded pristine, melding into a tour de force of vocal fireworks. At the same time they, of course, had an innate sense of blend and vocal dynamics overall that allowed each vocalist moments to shine solo in the spotlight.