Photo: Getty Images
Dasha performed her country-pop anthem — known for its accompanying line dance that became a viral TikTok trend — during her debut CMT Music Awards performance on Sunday night (April 7). Fittingly, she led an energetic performers with a team of dancers to bring “Austin” to life on the Moody Center stage in Austin, Texas.
Wearing a custom leopard-print strapless gown, Dasha caught up with iHeartCountry on the 2024 CMT Music Awards red carpet ahead of the show. The rising singer-songwriter, 24, said her performance would be “the biggest, highest-production show I’ve ever done. I just cannot tell you how happy I am to be here. I’m so excited to show everybody what I’ve got. I feel like I’m kind of like the rookie here at CMT, so here we go!”
The San Luis Obispo, California-born songstress made her CMT Awards debut while also marking her first time visiting the Texas capital. She gushed into the mic as she finished her performance on Sunday evening that it’s “my first time in Austin!” Aside from taking the stage, Dasha said on the red carpet she was looking forward to watching Sam Hunt — one of her favorite songwriters — Jelly Roll and other artists perform during the show.
“It was when I was 8 years old and I wrote my first song. My dad was kind of like my first manager. So, I was 10, playing these coffee shop gigs, winery shows, all that stuff. I released my first song when I was 13. That was actually the moment, when I released…it’s all I ever wanna do with my life, and we’ve been chasing it since then, and finally it’s working out,” Dasha told iHeartCountry on the red carpet. Dasha’s latest project to release is What Happens Now?, her 8-track debut country album that arrived in February and includes “Austin,” among other highlights.”It’s just been crazy with my album dropping and Austin blowing up at the same time. I’m just so happy that people get to hear my true artistry with this body of work coming out, and it’s been great.”
Other performers included host Kelsea Ballerini, Lainey Wilson, Jason Aldean, Bailey Zimmerman, Cody Johnson, Jelly Roll, Keith Urban, Little Big Town with Sugarland, Megan Moroney, NEEDTOBREATHE with Jordan Davis, Old Dominion with Megan Moroney, Parker McCollum with Brittney Spencer, Sam Hunt, and Trisha Yearwood, who was revealed as the first-ever June Carter Cash Humanitarian Award. Wilson also returned to the stage for an all-star tribute to late country legend Toby Keith, who died earlier this year following a battle with stomach cancer. He was 62.
Presenters included Amber Riley, Billy Bob Thornton (Landman), Cody Alan, Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, Emily Osment (Young Sheldon), Emma Roberts, Gayle King (CBS Mornings), James Van Der Beek, Jane Seymour, Jelly Roll, Max Theriot (Fire Country), Megan Moroney, Melissa Etheridge, Mickey Guyton, Minnie Driver, Montana Jordan (Young Sheldon), Parmalee and Paul Walter Hauser, per a press release issued Wednesday (April 3).
Dasha swapped out her red carpet gown for a tall pair of boots, denim shorts and a vest to join the group of dancers on the Moody Center stage. Watch the performance again here: