CARLY PEARCE AND RILEY GREEN STOKE TEMPTATION ON SULTRY NEW DUET “IF I DON’T LEAVE I’M GONNA STAY”
New Song & Music Video Out Now
NASHVILLE, TN (March 13, 2026) – GRAMMY, CMA & ACM Award-winning country star Carly Pearce turns up the heat with CMA & ACM Award winner Riley Green on their passion-filled new duet “If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay,” out now via Blue Highway Records. Listen HERE and watch the music video HERE.
“If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay” captures a magnetic pair who can’t quite let go. They flirt with the idea of starting over, fully aware a wine-fueled, passionate reconciliation will only lead to more heartbreak. Lived-in harmonies and restrained, thoughtful instrumentation let the unspoken question – stay or go – take center stage, while Pearce and Green deliver vocals charged with palpable desperation. The duo’s undeniable chemistry is on full display in the sultry track co-produced by Pearce and her longtime friend and producing partner, Ben West. The track is an instantly memorable addition to both artists’ already celebrated catalogs of duets.
“Collaborating with artists I’m a fan of is one of my favorite things to do,” shares Pearce. “I’ve been a fan of Riley’s for so long and knew if we could find the right moment, it would be special. ‘If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay’ is the perfect moment for us!”
“I’ve been a huge fan of Carly and her voice for a long time, so it was cool to get the text from her about this song,” adds Green. “The harmonies were unique and there was something really different about it. I’m glad she thought of me for this song, it’s awesome to get to do something together.”
The official music video for “If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay” arrives in tandem with the song’s release today. Directed by Wes Edwards, the temptation-laced video finds Pearce and Green grappling with the decision to see where the night takes them or to go their separate ways. Brimming with the same will they/won’t they tension that sits at the forefront of the track, the conclusion remains open-ended, leaving fans to decide the evening’s outcome for themselves.
Country music fans were sent into a frenzy as Pearce teased the track on social media in the days leading up to its release. After stirring up speculation by completely wiping her Instagram feed, Pearce shared a steamy snippet of the music video which seemingly confirmed that her next release would be a collaboration with Green. Fans and stars alike immediately took interest in her comments section, highlighting the excitement for this superstar collaboration.
“If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay” is the latest of Pearce’s new tracks released over the past few months that set “the tone for her most vulnerable era yet” (The Tennessean). The highly anticipated collaboration with Green follows the release of “honest anthem” (Rolling Stone) “Church Girl” in January and the “unfiltered, introspective” (Billboard) “Dream Come True” in November. Pearce is continuing to ready her fifth studio album, and more new music from the country star is expected soon.
This month, Pearce will make her highly anticipated return to Australia for a performance at CMC Rocks. In May, she’ll travel to the UK and Ireland for her headlining Inside The Dream Tour which includes a stop at the legendary Royal Albert Hall to headline the Highways Festival in London. For more information and tour dates, visit carlypearce.com.
Photo Credit: John Shearer
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About Carly Pearce
Fiercely rooted in the classics, the girl who left her Kentucky home and high school at 16 to take a job at Dollywood has grown into a woman who embraces the genre’s forward progression. GRAMMY® Award-winning singer-songwriter Carly Pearce lit a fire with her debut album Every Little Thing and the PLATINUM-certified history-making title track, and she hasn’t slowed down since. Now a Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry member who has performed on the famed stage more than 100 times, Pearce has come a long way from the pain she felt writing her critically acclaimed and commercially lauded third studio album 29 which includes Country Radio chart toppers “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” with Ashley McBryde and 2x PLATINUM-certified “What He Didn’t Do.” Her critically acclaimed 2024 album hummingbird includes PLATINUM-certified lead single “we don’t fight anymore” (featuring Chris Stapleton), which earned Pearce her second GRAMMY® nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance and fifth Top 5 Country Radio hit. Pearce recently wrapped her 40+ date headlining hummingbird world tour including a run of sold-out shows in the U.K. and Europe. With her highly anticipated fifth studio album on the way, Pearce continues to resonate with her honest lyrics and timeless musicality. Her newest tracks “Dream Come True” and “Church Girl” have been deeply connecting with fans, critics & fellow country stars alike. For tour dates and more, visit CarlyPearce.com.
About Riley Green
CMA and ACM Award winner Riley Green has been compelling Country music fans to raise a drink, shed a tear, and, above all, celebrate where they are from since first releasing his self-titled EP in 2018. Songs like the No. 1 2X-PLATINUM hit “There Was This Girl,” the 3X-PLATINUM-certified “I Wish Grandpas Never Died,” and his chart-topping collaboration with Thomas Rhett, “Half Of Me,” have made Green synonymous with what Country music does best: delivering no-gimmick, relatable songs with a timeless feel that make listeners feel something.
An avid sports fan, outdoorsman, and former Jacksonville State University quarterback, Green continues to build on his momentum, earning multiple Academy of Country Music awards and previously being named a MusicRow Breakout Artist of the Year, a CMT “Listen Up Artist,” and one of CRS’s New Faces of Country Music. Luke Combs joined Green on his PLATINUM No. 1 single “Different ’Round Here (feat. Luke Combs),” the title track of his 2019 debut album, which he re-recorded after seeing the powerful connection fans had with the song.
The singer-songwriter’s third studio album, Don’t Mind If I Do, produced by Dann Huff, arrived on his birthday, October 18, via Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment, delivering more of the signature sound fans have come to expect from the Jacksonville, Alabama native who still proudly calls his hometown home. Green later released Don’t Mind If I Do (Deluxe), adding six new tracks to the 18-song collection. On a continued hot streak, Green’s confidence shines throughout the project, with five solo-written tracks including standouts “Jesus Saves,” the 3X-PLATINUM “Worst Way,” and the title track, which reunites him with his “You Look Like You Love Me” duet partner. Green recently announced his 2026 Cowboy As It Gets Tour, set to hit major cities and arenas nationwide. Additionally, Green made his acting debut on CBS’ new TV show, Marshals, a spinoff of the beloved Yellowstone series, where he plays Garrett, a former Navy SEAL. For more information, visit rileygreenmusic.com.
