Beyoncé may have snagged a second week atop the Billboard Hot 100 with “Texas Hold ‘Em,” but that’s not the only major story in country music this week. Following the announcement of a new collaboration between Carly Pearce and Ryan Hurd, the “Hummingbird” singer took to X (formerly Twitter) to clarify rumors of a feud between herself and Maren Morris.
Initially, there was speculation among fans that the duet between Pearce and Hurd would appear on one of the two country star’s upcoming albums. The fact that the two are collaborating at all rubbed some fans the wrong way considering Pearce would be collaborating with Morris’ ex-husband. Morris and Hurd married in 2018, welcomed a son in 2020 and divorced in October 2023. To add fuel to the fire, some fans allege that Pearce unfollowed Morris on Instagram immediately after the release of “The Tree,” one of two emotional songs she released late last year to announce her departure from the country music industry.
Despite the speculation, Pearce quickly cleared up any rumored beef between the two artists. “Since I have seen this all over, I figured I would respond,” she wrote on X. “Ryan [Hurd] has a been a friend of mine for over 10 [years]. I was asked by my label to record this song with him for the Petty tribute and of course I said yes because he’s a great artist. STOP making something out of nothing!”
On Feb. 23, Tom Petty fans were treated to the exciting news of a new tribute album titled Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty. Slated for a May 31 release, the 20-track LP will feature contemporary covers of Petty’s biggest hits and most beloved songs by country superstars such as Dolly Parton, Luke Combs and George Strait. In addition to those stars, Pearce and Hurd are set to duet on a cover of “Breakdown,” which peaked at No. 40 on the Hot 100 and served as the first single from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers‘ eponymous debut album.
Pearce is currently prepping the release of Hummingbird, her forthcoming fourth studio album. “We Don’t Fight Anymore,” the set’s Chris Stapleton-assisted lead single, peaked at No. 67 on the Hot 100 and earned a Grammy nod for best country duo/group performance.
Check out Carly’s response to the beef rumors here:
