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A couple of weeks ago, Grammy winner Carly Pearce sent fans into a frenzy when she shared a brief, yet tantalizing video on social media where she was cozied up on a couch with fellow country star and “Worst Way” hitmaker Riley Green, in what appeared to be a tease of a new duet.
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“There have been a few moments in my career where I just knew we had something — this is one of those for me where I was like, ‘If this plays out like it’s playing out in my head, it’s going to be good,’” Pearce tells Billboard. “I’ve been looking forward to releasing this song and video for weeks. I was just ready to share it.”
Today (March 13), fans are getting the full look at their collaboration, “If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay,” as well as its steamy video, which centers on Pearce and Green portraying a couple pulled in by the allure of wine and intimate romance, while weighing the long-term emotional risks.
Pearce has had major success with collaborations, winning a Grammy for best country duo/group performance and ACM and CMA Awards for her Ashley McBryde teamup “Never Wanted to Be That Girl.” The song topped Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, as did her 2020 duet “I Hope You’re Happy Now” with Lee Brice. Her 2023 collaboration with Chris Stapleton, “We Don’t Fight Anymore,” reached the chart’s top 10.
Green has also gained notoriety through his duets with Ella Langley, including “You Look Like You Love Me,” which garnered the pair single of the year and music video of the year at the 2025 CMA Awards, as well as their follow up, “Don’t Mind If I Do” — both of which reached the Billboard Hot 100’s top 30.
Pearce had been looking for a collaboration for her upcoming album, and songwriter Jordan Reynolds — who has co-written Pearce’s “Should’ve Known Better” and “All the Whiskey in the World” — felt the longing-filled song would fit the bill.
“I love collaborations, but I knew I had to do something different, because I’ve had so many amazing ones,” Pearce says. “I said, ‘I want a song with Riley.’ They wrote this song with me in mind, and Jordan texted me and said, ‘This would be crazy with you and Riley.’”
Pearce and Green have been friends for years, and Pearce previously filled in for Langley to sing “Don’t Mind If I Do” with Green during the 20th anniversary party for Big Machine Label Group last year. (Since then, HYBE America has relaunched Pearce’s label home BMLG as Blue Highway, while Green continues at the Scott Borchetta and Jimmy Harnen-led Nashville Harbor Records and Entertainment.)
Pearce texted Green the song to get his thoughts on joining her on the song, recalling, “He texted me back in five minutes and said, ‘I’m in.’ About an hour later, he sent me a voice text of him singing the chorus. It felt like one of those things that was meant to be.”
They recorded their vocals in January, and filmed the sultry video in Nashville nearly three weeks ago. As part of her vision for the video, Pearce wanted she and Green to portray the couple themselves, in an homage to some of her favorite country videos growing up.
“Call me a ‘90s kid at heart — I used to love when artists like Reba [McEntire], Tim [McGraw] or Faith [Hill], they would act in the videos,” Pearce says. “I’ve obviously acted in my own videos, but when you have a collaboration with a male artist, you typically have actors play the part, and then you do more of a [musical] performance. I really wanted, if he was willing, to do something I feel is a bit of a lost art in our format, and I wanted to play the parts. I knew it was going to be very sexy. I knew it would be something special. I’m really proud of it.”
Director Wes Edwards’ approach allowed Pearce and Green to inject bits of their own personalities.
“We had a great time, and I think [Riley] would tell you the same thing,” Pearce says. “Obviously, we are not together, so it was kind of like, ‘Okay, is this going to be awkward or is it going to be fine?’ And it was odd how not weird it was. I really felt like Wes had the storyline nailed down. In the moment, there were little things I think Riley and I kind of creatively had a few liberties on — I threw my leg over his, or he kisses my hand or shoulder. We were trying to do, I think, probably what each of us would naturally do in a relationship in those kinds of moments.”
As with most music videos, there were a few funny moments to balance out the song’s intensity.
“We aren’t dating in real life, so to have to stare into each other’s eyes, we absolutely at times just busted out laughing,” she recalls. “It was funny and to have so many people on the crew watching you… but for the most part, we stayed in character. But what’s funny is the shots where we’re singing to each other, that was our first shot together. It’s like, ‘Wow, they really threw us into the deep end.’”
The video concludes on a cliffhanger. “What we hoped for is people wondering, ‘Did she leave that night, or did she leave in the morning?’ You kind of don’t know,” Pearce teases.
“If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay” follows Pearce songs like “Church Girl” and “Dream Come True,” which find the singer-songwriter offering up deeply held perspectives on faith and life in show business. The songs preview her forthcoming album, which she co-produced with Ben West, a collaborator on her 29 and Hummingbird projects.
“I feel like this is the best music I’ve made, because I’m letting go of what the town wants me to do — I’m not chasing trends,” Pearce says. “The only thing I’m chasing is, ‘Who am I at my core?’ I think that’s a very liberating place to be as an artist and owning my womanhood and all of the experience I’ve had.”
