The 53rd Annual CMA Awards from Nashville last night featured a beautiful moment when several top female stars appeared on stage together to perform Little Big Town’s Girl Crush.
Kelsea Ballerini, a nominee for the Female Vocalist of the Year Award, first performed her solo single Homecoming Queen. As she finished her song, she was joined on stage by Lindsay Ell, who began the opening cords of the ballad Girl Crush on her guitar.
A cast of rotating stars joined them onstage, which included Ashley McBryde, fresh off being named New Artist of the Year, Carly Pearce, Maddie & Tae, and Runaway June.
Naturally, Little Big Town also joined in on the song, bringing it to its conclusion.
Girl Crush was a big 2014 hit for Little Big Town, and it won both Single of the Year and Song of the Year at the 2015 CMA awards.
This year, the CMA Awards had a theme celebrating women in country music. This rendition captured that theme perfectly, sending chills through the audience.
Fans were quick to register their appreciation for such a moving moment with so many great female country music stars collaborating. Dorian Valenzuela called the performance “PERFECTION.”
Watching all of the beautiful and talented women sing #GirlCrush at the #CMA @CountryMusic awards gave me chills. PERFECTION. pic.twitter.com/eG1vQdTtXi
— Dorian Valenzuela (@RadioDorian) November 14, 2019
Many others expressed their appreciation, saying they had “goosebumps” and how happy they were to see so many amazing women in country music on stage together.
Girl Crush. Unbelievable !! I had goosebumps all the song ! #CMAawards #Cma #CMAs2019 #CMAwards
— Julie Lalonde (@lilielalonde) November 14, 2019
@lindsayell & @kelseaballerini & other amazing women in country all on one stage singing #GirlCrush cmaawards #cma ! Amazing & beautiful performance! We love you all so much ?????? #lindsayell #womanincountrymusic… https://t.co/OlUDemDD7A
— Jennifer ❤️ (@taffygirl04) November 14, 2019
Not everyone was as appreciative, with some suggesting that the song’s lyrics made it a poor choice when it comes to celebrating women, although these comments were very much in the minority.
"Girl Crush" #CMA
opposite of #feminism #girlpower
Lyrics show a self-hating woman who has to resort to a threesome in order to make her boyfriend love her:
"…taste her lips
Yeah, cuz they taste like you …want her magic touch
Yeah, cuz maybe then
You'd want me just as much"— Drew Andrews (@drewdropin) November 14, 2019
Watch the incredible performance of Girl Crush at the CMAs with Kelsea Ballerini, Ashley McBryde and more
The CMAs are available to stream now from ABC.