Other impressive performances featured A-list country musicians, such as Keith Urban, Thomas Rhett, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton and more.
- Jun 8, 2017
AceShowbiz - As previously announced, this year's CMT Music Awards would see a number of unexpected collaborations. The Wednesday event clearly showed us how country music was closely related to other genres as it featured show-stopping performances which included collaborations between Luke Bryan and pop singer Jason Derulo, as well as Florida Georgia Line and EDM duo The Chainsmokers.
After receiving an award for their performance on "CMT Crossroads" last year, Derulo and Bryan took the stage to celebrate their victory with an electrifying performance. While Bryan sat behind a piano, Derulo joined him onstage to sing a romantic song called "Strip It Down". The pair then lit up the stage with a powerful performance of "Want to Want Me".
Meanwhile, Florida Georgia Line and The Chainsmokers took the outdoor stage to perform a rendition of their collaborative track "Last Day Alive", an atmospheric song from the EDM group's latest effort "Memories...Do Not Open". On the mini set filled with fireworks, Alex Taggart belted out harmonies alongside the country duo while the crowd put their hands in the air and moved their bodies to the beat.
The night's biggest winner, Keith Urban, teamed up with Carrie Underwood to perform their hit song "The Fighter". The event's host Charles Esten said prior to the performance, "Okay, everybody, this is special. We've got something truly incredible for you right now. You've all hear Keith and Carrie sing their smash hit 'The Fighter', but I guarantee you've never heart it like this."
And it was different indeed, in a good way. Their performance at the awards show was more magical. On a dim-lit set, Keith strummed his guitar while showcasing his clear voice on the intro before trading verses with Carrie from across the walkway. With the beat-less music, they made the romantic lyrics more stand-out, leaving the audiences swoon throughout the performance.
Miranda Lambert rocked the stage with her "Pink Sunglasses", a song from her latest album "The Weight of These Wings". Bathed in rosy glow, she sported black dress as she channeled her inner feisty self while singing the fun song.
Thomas Rhett kept it simple during his performance of "Craving You". Despite the absence of his collaborator Maren Morris, he still nailed the song while playing his guitar, with a crew of female dancers doing fun choreography behind him.
Blake Shelton slayed his performance of "Everytime I Hear That Song". He showed off his power in singing the ballad as he smoothly sang the falsetto and the hook while harmonizing with his impressive backup singers.
