Carrie Underwood remembered her first impression of Texas-born country star Cody Johnson when she first met him at the 2022 CMT Music Awards.
Underwood and Johnson, who recently released the stunning duet “I’m Gonna Love You,” met backstage at the show in Nashville, Tennessee. Underwood set a record that night for the most awards won in CMT history with her 24th and 25th victory, and Johnson delivered a powerful live performance in the midst of a downpour (earning him the Performance of the Year award in 2023).
“I remember leaving that night just saying, ‘I really like that guy. I hope I watch him do great things,’” Underwood said as she and Johnson caught up with iHeartCountry ahead of their collaboration’s debut. The pair also spoke about their favorite songs by one another and more.
“From the moment I heard this song, I heard Carrie’s voice on it. It was a non-negotiable for me; either we sing it together, or I wouldn’t sing it at all. It’s that special to me,” Johnson previously said in a press release. “Working with Carrie has been an absolute pleasure. She’s not only one hell of a singer, but she’s a class act all the way around. It warms my heart to work with someone who’s seen so much success in their career and they’re still so down to earth. I feel like this duet is going to be massive in so many ways, and I couldn’t be prouder of it!”
Johnson released “I’m Gonna Love You” in September. It’s one of 13 new tracks that appears on the deluxe edition of Leather, which released in November.
“I think people have preconceived notions about what a big star is like, and she's not that,” Johnson added on a recent episode of Biscuits & Jam, a podcast hosted by Southern Living Editor-in-Chief Sid Evans. “It's like having a friend that you didn't know you had. It's also really fun to sing with someone that challenges you. To know what caliber of vocalist that she is, that helps me step my game up, you know. It's been a real pleasure, and she's gone above and beyond. Even when we did the music video, I mean, we worked in there for 12 hours that day, and she never, never took the smile off her face and never complained.”