Talk about turning lemons into lemonade. When Carly Pearce’s marriage blew up after eight months, she created a head-turning song cycle; the EP 29, written in the moment, and its expansion, 29: Written in Stone, captured people’s attention.

Released in February 2021, the seven-track 29 was nominated as the Country Music Association’s Album of the Year. Pearce won both the CMA and Academy of Country Music’s Female Vocalist awards in 2021 and was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.

This year, 29: Written in Stone, issued in September 2021, was nominated for ACM Album of the Year. Pearce won the ACMs for Female Artist and Music Event of the Year, the latter with Ashley McBryde for “Never Wanted to Be That Girl.” Pearce and McBryde became only the third female duet to top the Country radio charts (following Elle King and Miranda Lambert’s 2021 “Drunk [And I Don’t Wanna Go Home]” and Reba and Linda Davis’ 1993 single, “Does He Love You”).

“Never Wanted to Be That Girl” wasn’t Pearce’s first successful duet; her pairing with Lee Brice, “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” from her eponymous 2020 album, was named 2020 CMA Musical Event of the Year and 2021 ACM Music Event and Single of the Year.

Currently supporting Kenny Chesney on his Here and Now stadium tour, Pearce isn’t about to slow down now.

What a year!
Right? All I did was try to write through it—and look what happened! [CMA Female Vocalist] was the biggest freak-out of my life; if I’m being honest, I’m still trying to process it. When I was a child, it was the be-all and end-all—all I dreamed of. How many times I practiced my speech...

And it only got better.
I don’t think anybody who wins a CMA walks into the ACMs not hoping they’ll win. I was proud to even be nominated, because it wasn’t that long ago that I was financing my own CD, working with [producer] busbee, who felt like the only person who believed in me. When your dreams come true, you want to keep it going. Sustaining it is harder than people realize.

What changed?
It’s interesting to see the shift in my music after the loss of busbee [who died in 2019 of brain cancer at age 43]. Sometimes you don’t realize what your music can be. Plus, making 29, there was so much going on. Working with Shane [McAnally] and Josh [Osborne] opened some windows. Their roots are a lot like mine. I also remember turning in the EP of 29 and being so fearful. It was different—more country, more me. Since I’d not gotten signed all those years...

And then BOOM. People responded.
Every artist has the thing people show up for. For me, they show up for my life. They want to hear about what happened in the songs. At first, it was overwhelming—and with 29, the EP, a little embarrassing. Then I realized, “All the other people are telling me their stories too!” And their stories sound a lot like my songs.

I’ve heard some people think it’s male-bashing.
I’ve had a lot of men tell me they’ve found truth in these songs—women aren’t the only ones who get cheated on, and it’s not only men who mistreat their girlfriends or wives.

Well, it’s such a female album.
I feel like people see themselves in every single song I’m singing about where I was a few years ago. I can see it in their faces.

Now what?
A lot has happened, so I want to show people I’m onto the next stage of my life. The last single from Written in Stone is “What He Didn’t Do,” but it’s really a love song to yourself and what you deserve. When you know those things that should’ve happened and didn’t, you get wiser. I know exactly where I’m heading now, what I want.

You’ve been out with Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts and now Kenny Chesney. All the boys.
Yeah, my theater tour was great. It was a listening experience, telling stories, drawing people in. But with all those guys, you bring your emotions, then sing with everything you got. Watching Kenny, seeing how he reaches into the audience, I’m gonna learn a lot. There’s no one like him.

You seem really grounded.
I feel very peaceful, very grounded. I learned that honesty is the best thing. I tried to deal with my emotions, not suppress them, and get it out. I’m proud I made it through 2020. Not everyone gets to make the music they truly want to, and I do. I know that’s a privilege. So my goal for what’s next is to create an album about having fun and enjoying being alive. I want my songs to show how good life can be.