Tigirlily Gold relived an unforgettable milestone that prompted “the biggest shift” in the duo’s career.
The two sisters, Kendra Slaubaugh and Krista Slaubaugh, watched the moment they took the stage at the 59th ACM Awards in May 2024. Tigirlily Gold won the New Duo/Group of the Year category, and performed their heartfelt ballad, “I Tried A Ring On,” at the world headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys at The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Kendra and Krista shared their thoughts about that performance in the Academy of Country Music’s latest installment of its ACM Firsts series, which features artists reminiscing on some of their unforgettable ACM moments ahead of the show’s milestone 60th show this spring.
“I try so hard not to cry. I was like, ‘I can’t help it anymore,’” Krista said as she watched her reaction on stage toward the end of the song. Kendra added: “That’s my favorite moment. …That’s everything. That just shows what that moment meant to us, right there.
“Just being able to share that moment and being able to look back on that and being like, you know, if we have kids someday, we’ll be able to show our kids this clip and be like ‘look at what we did,’ Kendra continued. She defined the moment as one of “overwhelming joy,” and said it was “the biggest shift we saw in our career” so far.
“I Tried A Ring On” appeared on the duo’s debut record, Blonde, a 10-track project that arrived over the summer. The Pete Good- and Shane McAnally-produced album also includes the title track, “Leroy,” “Shoot Tequila,” a stunning cover of Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love,” and more. Krista said during a previous interview with iHeartCountry: “We finally unlocked and pinpointed it as this album is ‘girl group energy.’ And so, after we wrote ‘Blonde,’ everything we were chasing, that sound, those feelings, and just trying to be as real and vulnerable. And at the end of the day, Kendra and I picked the 10 songs that represented us the best. …We just knew what we wanted for this project.”
The 60th ACM Awards will take place on May 8, 2025. Reba McEntire is returning to host Country Music’s Party of the Year for her 18th time, more than any other artist. McEntire previously confirmed that the 2025 show will take place again at the world headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys at The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Additional details — including performers, presenters and nominees — have not been announced as of publication time on Tuesday.
“Reba McEntire has hosted more ACM Awards shows than any other artist in history, and after her triumphant return this year for the 59th show, there is clearly no one better suited to helm this milestone show!” Academy of Country Music CEO Damon Whiteside previously said in a statement. “Our landmark 50th anniversary show in 2015 marked our debut in Texas, and we’re thrilled to return again to celebrate another major moment in ACM history. We look forward to seeing our industry, artists, and fans celebrate in Frisco, Texas next May for an unforgettable week!”