Cassadee Pope's 2016 ACM Awards performance would be her favorite memory from her years attending, but something Martina McBride said as she finished tops it.

Pope tells Taste of Country that singing "Think of You" with Chris Young was special. "We had pyro, which was crazy," she recalls. "I remember I got to wear this gold-sequined jumpsuit and I walked out of this sort of tunnel when I started singing. I felt like such a star."

A standing ovation from her peers was the cherry on top for her that night, and the moment helped carry "Think of You" to No. 1, and later, a nomination in the Vocal Event of the Year category. The platinum-certified hit was a career-changer for Pope — an early winner of The Voice who her fans knew as a vocal powerhouse, but still remained an unknown for many, including Martina McBride.

"Charles Kelley, when I came back down to my seat, he was like 'Martina McBride turned to me and was like, 'I didn't know she could sing like that,'" Pope shares. It was a night, to say the least. You can watch her expand on it in the video above.

Pope, who just released the personal Stages album, is one of many artists Taste of Country spoke to in advance of the Taste of Country's 2019 ACM Awards Live Tailgate party which begins at 7PM ET on YouTube on Sunday (April 7). Red carpet analysis, historical Top 5 ACM moments, interviews and predictions will all get you ready for the 2019 ACMs, which start at 8PM ET on CBS.

Remember: The best way to watch the ACMs is on TV, with ToC on your phone!

Here's More Singers You Probably Forgot Did Reality TV

More From Taste of Country