Elle King is set to open the 2021 ACM Awards on Sunday night (April 18) by performing alongside Miranda Lambert on their new collaboration, “Drunk (and I Don’t Wanna Go Home).” In an interview prior to the show, King admits the big moment makes her “super nervous” — but in a good way.
The appearance marks King’s first time performing on the ACM Awards, and it’s also the first time she and Lambert have performed the song in public.
“And on top of that, I’m pregnant, so it’s just a lot of emotions,” she tells Taste of Country in a remote interview Saturday evening (April 17) from the Grand Ole Opry, where she and Lambert have been in rehearsals for their appearance.
“Honestly, it’s more exciting than anything else,” she adds. “There’s a lot going into that, on top of, the world is starting to wake up, and just the fact that we get to be working, and we are singing and performing our song for the first time … This is really exciting.”
“I’ve never opened any [awards] show,” she tells us. “So it’s a lot going on. It’s awesome, but it’s more excitement than anything. I’m just happy to be here.”
King was previously part of Lambert’s all-star cover of “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” from 2019. That track featured Lambert, King, Maren Morris, Caylee Hammack, Tenille Townes and Ashley McBryde. She toured alongside Lambert that year, and she also shared a hilarious road story from that trek — the part that she could recall, at any rate.
“The one I shouldn’t tell involved me killing it onstage, and then walking into a door,” she says as Lambert looks on, laughing.
“It was epic,” Lambert interjects.
“It was pretty epic!” King agrees. “If I remembered it. It was the concussion that really took my memory away. That’s what we’re blaming it on. Other than that, it was just real clean-cut … just normal shows, being good.”
“We’re real straight and narrow,” Lambert deadpans.
“Good girls, that’s what we are,” King finishes.
Lambert is also set to perform “In His Arms” with Jack Ingram and Jon Randall at the awards show on Sunday night, where she is nominated in multiple categories, including Female Artist, Single and Song of the Year.
The 2021 ACM Awards air live on CBS and stream live on Paramount+. Sign up for Paramount+ here.
2021 ACM Awards Nominees: The Full List
Maren Morris and Chris Stapleton lead all 2021 ACM Awards nominees with six each and Miranda Lambert has five, including Female Artist of the Year. Thomas Rhett and Ashley McBryde will be up for four ACM awards on April 18. The CBS broadcast will award trophies for Entertainer, Song and Album of the Year, in addition to Duo and Group of the Year. This is a list of all ACM Awards nominations for 2021.