Chris Stapleton’s duet with pop star Dua Lipa at this year’s ACM Awards surprised fans in the best way possible.
Chris was one of several performers during the ceremony on May 16th, which was fitting since he is a living legend in the genre. But the addition of Dua Lipa caught the audience off-guard.
The duo took the stage to sing Think I’m In Love With You, which Chris dropped last fall. Dua opened as a full orchestra played behind her, which gave the single a cinematic feel. Chris joined in shortly after, and the two blended their perfectly soulful voices to give the crowd a beautifully bluesy performance. Chris’ wife, Morganne also lent her voice for backup.
Dua Lipa Had Been Dreaming Of A Chris Stapleton Collaboration
Dua Lipa told The Bobby Bones Show that until that moment, she was one of the dozens of artists who had only dreamed of dueting with Chris Stapleton. For Chris, the feeling was mutual.
“I’m such a fan of Chris’,” she said after the performance, “and I kind of reached out and was like, ‘Hey, wanna do something together?’ And this came about.”
Dua shared that the two only had two days to practice and perfect their duet, which rightfully impressed Bobby.
“I feel so lucky to have been in Chris and Morgane’s orbit for a few days, just like diving into the musicality of everything,” Dua continued. “It’s just been wonderful.”
Chris followed with major praise for his singing partner.
“Dua is kind of the queen of feel-good music,” he said.
The Dua Lipa collaboration wasn’t the only highlight for Chris Stapleton that night. The Tennessee Whiskey singer also walked away with several awards, including Male Artist of the Year, Artist-Songwriter of the Year, and Album of the Year.
This story’s featured image is by Erika Goldring/Getty Images for CMT.