Look out, Lauren Akins—Katy Perry is coming for your man.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Just kidding! Nothing (and we do mean nothing) could come between Thomas Rhett and his wife, who have been one of country music's cutest couples for more than a decade. But if you watched the "Die a Happy Man" singer's performance with Perry at the 2022 CMA Awards, you might just think twice. Rhett and Perry came together at the Bridgestone Theater to deliver a soulful performance of their chart-topping duet, "Where We Started." The title track of Rhett's latest album is one of his most genre-stretching tunes yet, taking inspiration from R&B and soul music and mixing it with country and pop.
The singers took the dimly-lit stage one by one. Rhett stepped out first, wearing an all-black ensemble topped off with a leather bomber jacket, to deliver the song's opening verse. All eyes were on Perry when she joined him, wearing a black cowboy hat and strapless denim gown that appeared to be crafted out of a classic Western work shirt. Their musical chemistry was palpable throughout the performance, which they ended with a friendly hug (and a hat tip to the crowd from Perry).
The lyrics of their pop-country collaboration recall the early days of a relationship, back before two people became "knocked down" and "broken-hearted." For Perry, the song takes her back to the beginning of a different part of her life.
"I loved being able to create a dreamy world for "Where We Started," going back to the Nashville singer-songwriter roots of where I started," the singer said in a statement to Good Morning America.
The song isn't drawn directly from Rhett's life, either—though another song on his album is. "Us Someday" features autobiographical lyrics about Rhett's love story with his now-wife Lauren, which began when they were only teenagers. So, of course, it makes sense that the cameras cut right to Lauren's seat in the audience after her husband's performance. She's been cheering him on for years!
READ MORE: 2022 CMA Awards Red Carpet: The Cutest Couples
