Sara Evans featured her youngest daughter in the poignant new music video she premiered on Wednesday (March 27). Audrey, 19, appears to dab makeup over a bruise on her face at the beginning of the music video for “Pride,” seemingly portraying a woman caught in a toxic relationship. Later in the video, Audrey recognizes signs of abuse as she serves customers while working at a club, and bravely stands up for the woman.
Evans premiered the video with PEOPLE, telling the outlet: “When I watch the video, it does evoke emotion in me every single time I watch. I never would've dreamed 10 years ago that I'd be sitting here with an album like this in and a video like that and this discussion going on. But all things work for the good, and so there is going to be good that comes from this.”
The “Pride” music video arrives shortly after Evans, 53, discussed stories she’d “never spoken about” publicly on the debut episode of her new podcast, Diving in Deep with Sara Evans. The approximately hour-long podcast episode delved into what happened the night Evans’ husband was arrested, her divorce, getting back together with her husband, his reaction to “Pride” and more. “Pride” is the first single to release as Evans prepares to release her next full-length studio album, Unbroke, on June 7. The Grand Ole Opry star, who recently appeared on The Bobby Bones Show, previously said this it’s “the most real song I have ever written and I am so grateful to be able to put it out into the world.” Her husband, Jay Barker, encouraged her to release the deeply vulnerable ballad and tell her story without swapping or watering down her lyrics.
“You go from being in that position, and you feel stuck. Then you leave the situation and you end up being sad. Then you feel free,” Audrey said, particularly after watching how her mother grew while working on her album, via PEOPLE. “Then coming to terms with whether she wanted to stay or leave, and then the whole process. It was really interesting to see what emotions came along with it. It’s a very emotional song and video but overall, I think it should be more hopeful for girls who are in that position and in toxic relationships.”
“Thank you so much for the love on this extremely real and raw song. Getting to see Audrey shine in this video has been one of the highlights of my life!” Evans said as she posted about the video — including credits to the cast and crew — on Instagram when it premiered on Wednesday.
If you or someone you know is currently navigating an abusive relationship, please know that support is available. The National Domestic Violence Hotline offers confidential assistance, resources, and a compassionate ear. You can reach out to them at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), or visit their website at www.thehotline.org for invaluable information and safety planning tips. For those more comfortable with chat-based support, the National Domestic Violence Hotline provides a live chat feature on their website by texting “START” to 88788.