GRAMMY, CMA & ACM Award-winning country star Carly Pearce turns up the heat with CMA & ACM Award winner Riley Green on their passion-filled new duet “If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay,” out now via Blue Highway Records.
“If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay” captures a magnetic pair who can’t quite let go. They flirt with the idea of starting over, fully aware a wine-fueled, passionate reconciliation will only lead to more heartbreak. Lived-in harmonies and restrained, thoughtful instrumentation let the unspoken question – stay or go – take center stage, while Pearce and Green deliver vocals charged with palpable desperation. The duo’s undeniable chemistry is on full display in the sultry track co-produced by Pearce and her longtime friend and producing partner, Ben West. The track is an instantly memorable addition to both artists’ already celebrated catalogs of duets.
“Collaborating with artists I’m a fan of is one of my favorite things to do,” shares Pearce. “I’ve been a fan of Riley’s for so long and knew if we could find the right moment, it would be special. ‘If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay’ is the perfect moment for us!”
“I’ve been a huge fan of Carly and her voice for a long time, so it was cool to get the text from her about this song,” adds Green. “The harmonies were unique and there was something really different about it. I’m glad she thought of me for this song, it’s awesome to get to do something together.”
The official music video for “If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay” arrives in tandem with the song’s release today. Directed by Wes Edwards, the temptation-laced video finds Pearce and Green grappling with the decision to see where the night takes them or to go their separate ways. Brimming with the same will they/won’t they tension that
sits at the forefront of the track, the conclusion remains open-ended, leaving fans to decide the evening’s outcome for themselves.
Country music fans were sent into a frenzy as Pearce teased the track on social media in the days leading up to its release. After stirring up speculation by completely wiping her Instagram feed, Pearce shared a steamy snippet of the music video which seemingly confirmed that her next release would be a collaboration with Green. Fans and stars alike immediately took interest in her comments section, highlighting the excitement for this superstar collaboration.
“If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay” is the latest of Pearce’s new tracks released over the past few months that set “the tone for her most vulnerable era yet” (The Tennessean). The highly anticipated collaboration with Green follows the release of “honest anthem” (Rolling Stone) “Church Girl” in January and the “unfiltered, introspective” (Billboard) “Dream Come True” in November. Pearce is continuing to ready her fifth studio album, and more new music from the country star is expected soon.
This month, Pearce will make her highly anticipated return to Australia for a performance at CMC Rocks. In May, she’ll travel to the UK and Ireland for her headlining Inside The Dream Tour which includes a stop at the legendary Royal Albert Hall to headline the Highways Festival in London. For more information and tour dates, visit carlypearce.com.
