Luke Combs set the stage on fire with his energy-filled performance of his chart-topping hit “Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma” at the 2024 CMA Awards on Wednesday, November 20.
Introduced by co-hosts Luke Bryan, Lainey Wilson, and Peyton Manning, who appeared trapped in a Twister (a fitting nod to Oklahoma’s stormy reputation), the country superstar unleashed a performance that was nothing short of explosive. The stage was set with towering oil rigs filling the backdrop and explosions of fire erupting throughout his performance.
Donning his signature Columbia PFG, dark-colored pants and a Blue Otter Polarized ball cap, Luke Combs belted out the lyrics to the anthemic tune. “Ain’t no love in Oklahoma / Just the whistle of a long black train / You’ll know when it’s comin’ for ya / Ridin’ in on the wind and rain,” Combs sang on the track’s chorus.
His energy-filled performance, powerful vocals and commanding stage presence kept the audience captivated from start to finish.
Ahead of the show, Luke Combs reflected on how the song came to be during a discussion with the Country Music Association (CMA).
“I’m performing ‘Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma,’ which is a song I wrote for the Twisters movie. I got a call, I don’t know, obviously before the movie came out, and they wanted to do an original soundtrack, and they wanted me to write something uptempo and fun and fast, and that’s what we did, and it turned out to be really great,” Combs recalled. “I didn’t know really what to expect [and] I don’t have too much experience doing stuff like that, but it was a lot of fun.”
He also shared his thoughts on his high-energy performance, revealing that he’s never added a big production with “cool lights and fire” at an awards show. He prefers to focus on the music, keeping the performance simple and without all the extra flair. “We’ve never done that. We’ve never done that stuff ever before. So I think it makes it a little bit cooler for us to, as people who, me and my band, we really shy away from that stuff,” Combs continued. “We like to let the music speak for itself, but I think this song is the perfect time to dip our toe into that. So we’re excited about it. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
“Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma” appears on the GRAMMY-nominated Twisters movie soundtrack, which features all original songs by a slew of country stars.
2024 CMA Awards
The 2024 CMA Awards featured memorable performances from Luke Bryan, Lainey Wilson, Post Malone, Ashley McBryde, Shaboozey, Chris Stapleton, Cody Johnson, Eric Church, Bailey Zimmerman, Megan Moroney, Kacey Musgraves and more.
The three-hour broadcast showcased a star-studded lineup of one-of-a-kind collaborations and unforgettable moments. Ella Langley and Riley Green delivered their chart-climbing viral hit, “You Look Like You Love Me,” while Kelsea Ballerini and Noah Kahan, along with Post Malone and Chris Stapleton, debuted their fan-favorite duets, “Cowboys Cry Too” and “California Sober,” respectively.
Additionally, Dierks Bentley, Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull, and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes paid tribute to the late Tom Petty with a rendition of “American Girl.” Thomas Rhett and Teddy Swims combined their current singles, “Somethin’ Bout A Woman” and “Lose Control,” in a dynamic mashup, and Brooks & Dunn and Jelly Roll performed “Believe,” a standout track from Brooks & Dunn’s latest release, Reboot II.
An impressive lineup of presenters were also on hand to give out the awards and introduce performances, including Simone Biles, Clint Black, Jeff Bridges, Mark Collie, Jordan Davis, The Oak Ridges Boys, Mitchell Tenpenny, Dustin Lynch, Caleb Pressley, Freddie Freeman, Little Big Town, Carly Pearce, Katharine McPhee, and Billy Bob Thornton, among others.
Co-hosted by Luke Bryan, Peyton Manning, and Lainey Wilson, the 58th Annual CMA Awards aired live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 20, on ABC and will be available to stream on Hulu starting November 21.
