Luke Combs Serenades Crowd With ‘Love You Anyway’ at the 2023 ACMs
Luke Combs delivered a rip-roaring performance of "Love You Anyway" onstage at the 2023 ACM Awards on Thursday night (May 11).
Combs was almost the personification of his Gettin' Old album cover while singing — he wore his signature fishing shirt in black with a ball cap. Behind him was a digital version of the house that is also featured on the cover of the project.
Although he kept the song simple and true to its original form, he captivated the audience as only Combs can do: He knows how to hold a crowd in the palm of his hand. After he finished, he introduced Ed Sheeran to take the stage to sing "Life Goes On" and then returned to join him on a few lines.
"Love You Anyway" is inspired by Combs' wife Nicole. The song touches on a true love that he would gladly take on even if he knew it would end in heartbreak. Earlier in the night, the couple walked the red carpet — her first public appearance since announcing they are expecting their second child in September. It's another boy.
The 2023 ACM Awards is a big night for Combs, who's one of the most-nominated acts of the evening, across several categories. He's among the favorites to win Entertainer of the Year, the awards show's top honor. If he wins in that category, he'll hold the Entertainer title across country music's two biggest awards shows, since he won in the category for the second year running at the CMA Awards last November.
Combs also scored nominations in the Artist-Songwriter of the Year, Male Artist of the Year and Album of the Year categories, the latter of which is for his 2022 project, Growin' Up. As usual for a Combs album, that project produced multiple chart-topping singles, including "Doin' This," "The Kind of Love We Make" and "Going, Going Gone."
The 2023 ACM Awards is taking place at Frisco, Texas' Ford Center and streaming live on Amazon Prime Video. Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks are co-hosting the show, marking the first time the two legends have worked together, and Brooks' first time co-hosting a major awards show of any kind.