‘The Voice': Carly Pearce Delivers an Emotional Performance of ‘What He Didn’t Do’ [Watch]
Season 22 of The Voice returned on Tuesday (Dec. 6) night with an intense results show as 8 semi-finalists were cut down to 5. But, aside from host Carson Daly reading off results, country music superstar Carly Pearce stopped by to deliver a rousing rendition of “What He Didn’t Do,” from her 2021 breakup album, 29: Written in Stone.
Onstage, the Grammy-nominated artist wore a skin-tight glittery gown as she dazzled viewers while surrounded by dim-lit pillar candles covered in metal lanterns. She showed raw emotion through her facial expressions and honeyed Kentucky vocals while singing the song lyrics, which provided listeners with a list of all of the things an ex didn’t do during a relationship that he should have.
“Treat me right, put me first, be a man of his word / Stay home 'cause he wanted to / Always fight for my love, hold on tight like it's something/ That he couldn't stand to lose,” Pearce crooned throughout the clever chorus of the song. “The devil's in the details, I won't tell the hell that he put me through / All I know is in the end, it wasn't what he did / No, it was what he didn't do.”
“What He Didn’t Do,” which Pearce co-wrote with lauded songwriters Emily Shackelton and Ashley Gorley, is just one of 15 ultra-personal tracks included on the critically acclaimed 29: Written in Stone. The ballad and album close out a chapter of Pearce’s personal life which saw her navigating her highly publicized 2020 divorce from fellow country star Michael Ray.
Pearce’s performance of the emotional ballad comes as she prepares for a new era of music.
“I think what fans have shown me is they want to see how I see the world,” Pearce notes in a press statement, as previously shared. “So it’s been an interesting process of coming out of a season of my life that was so hard and transitioning into one that, yes, is so much fuller and richer, but also still a hard way to come out of."
“What He Didn’t Do” isn’t the only song from 29: Written in Stone that Pearce has performed on The Voice stage. In late 2021, she channeled the album’s title track on the Hollywood set.
“This show makes me very nervous because I have to sing in front of people like Camila Cabello, John Legend, Gwen Stefani, and my tourmate, Blake Shelton. So, I might throw up,” the singer, who will join Shelton on the road for his 2023 Honky Tonk arena tour, said ahead of her performance, according to kikvradio.com.
Pearce wasn’t the only artist to sing during the results broadcast. Coaches Shelton and Legend broke away from their red chairs to entertain fans with their talents. Shelton performed his upbeat, ‘90s-inspired “No Body,” while Legend treated viewers to his R&B/pop ballad, “Nervous.”
Be sure to tune into the Season 22 The Voice two-night finale, beginning Monday (Dec. 12) at 8PM ET on NBC.