Luke Combs performed an unreleased new song in a makeshift dive bar built on Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena stage.
The country superstar and North Carolina native debuted a deeply personal new song called “Doin’ This,” during his performance at the 55th Annual CMA Awards on Wednesday evening (Nov. 10).
As soon as he began his heartfelt ballad, the audience quickly wrapped their head around the underlining meaning behind the lyrics. With the power of music, Combs acknowledges his success as an artist. However, he shared that if he didn’t reach stardom in the country music space, he would still chase his dream and hone in on his craft.
“I’d be feelin’ on fire / On a hardwood stage / Bright lights like lightning running through my veins / At the Grand Ole Opry or a show in some no-name town / I’d still be doin’ this / if I wasn’t doing this,” he sang in the chorus. “It ain’t about the fame / it ain’t about the fortune / it ain’t about the name / it ain’t about the glory / I guess I’m sayin’ it’s always been about / Having a Friday night crowd in the palm of my hand / Cup of brown liquor / couple buddies in a band / Singin’ them same damn songs like I am now.”
Combs’ flawless performance received a standing ovation from the star-studded crowd.
Click above to watch Combs’ live debut of his unreleased new song, “Doin’ This.”
Following the hitmaker’s performance, “Doin’ This” was made available on all streaming platforms as well as music retailers worldwide.
In a recent interview with The Tennessean, Combs shared that he’s ready for the next chapter of his musical career.
“It just felt like, man, it’s kinda time to turn the page on this last album and start new,” Combs told the outlet ahead of his CMA performance. “Start the next phase of it all.” The project, which is expected to arrive within the next year, will detail where he currently stands in his life.
The just-released new song is expected to land on Combs’ forthcoming third studio album, which the singer has been hard at work writing and recording over the past few months.
“I’m working on [my new album]. I’ve got a bunch of stuff that I’m trying to sort through,” Combs told Audacy’s Katie Neal. “As far as songs go. I think it’s like there’s too many to pick from. I’m not saying that in an arrogant way at all, but I really love everything that we’ve done and trying to whittle it down has been difficult.”
The North Carolina native began working on his forthcoming third studio album in early March 2021. And although he hasn’t shared an official release date for the album just yet, he has been teasing fans with updates on social media. He has even shared a few songs that could potentially make the cut for the record.
So far, Combs has shared several unreleased songs such as “The Kind Of Love We Make,” “Falling For You Still,” “Five Leaf Clover,” “See Me Now,” “Ever Mine,” “We Still Drink Beer,” “Good Ol’ Days” and many more.
Combs’ upcoming new project will be the follow-up to his chart-topping, 2x Platinum 2019 album, What You See Is What You Get, and the 2020 deluxe edition of the project dubbed, What You See Ain’t Always What You Get.
The 55th Annual CMA Awards also featured performances from Jimmie Allen, Gabby Barrett, Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Dan + Shay, Jennifer Hudson, Miranda Lambert, Old Dominion, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton, Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban, and Zac Brown Band.
Additionally, the show included star-studded collaborations by Chris Young and Kane Brown, Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde, Mickey Guyton, Brittney Spencer and Madeline Edwards, Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, BRELAND and HARDY.
Country singers Trace Adkins, Ingrid Andress, Kelsea Ballerini, Deana Carter, Russell Dickerson, Florida Georgia Line, Alan Jackson, Lady A, Scotty McCreery, Darius Rucker, Lainey Wilson, and Trisha Yearwood were on hand to present during the ceremony.
Lauren Daigle, Faith Fennidy, Freddie Freeman, Amy Grant, Dulé Hill, Elle King, Zachary Levi, Hayley Orrantia, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Susan Sarandon, Saycon Sengbloh and Kurt Warner also made special appearances throughout the broadcast.
Hosted by Luke Bryan, the 2021 CMA Awards broadcasted live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 8/7c on ABC.
