Exclusive

Carly Pearce addresses harsh fan misconceptions: 'I'm just painfully shy!'

27 February 2025, 09:00

By Sian Hamer

"I wish fans knew, we're probably just like you."

Loading audio...

Carly Pearce is currently performing across the globe on her Hummingbird tour and has just announced her forthcoming deluxe album, no rain no flowers.

She's no stranger to the bright lights of the stage or walking the red carpet.

So it's hard to imagine that the 34-year-old singer is timid or shy.

But those are exactly the words she used to describe herself when Smooth Country's Eamonn Kelly asked the 'What He Didn’t Do' star about the fan misconceptions she had previously addressed.

Watch the exclusive interview with Carly Pearce below!

Carly Pearce addresses harsh fan misconceptions: 'I'm just painfully shy!'

"Because I wrote an album about my divorce, that every song is about that person," Carly cites as one of the misconceptions she often hears.

"I would not give him that much credit. I do not think about him in that way."

Carly adds: "I'm thankful for him for 29, but other than that I do not... So that's a big misconception for sure."

Another misconception the star has heard is that she isn't a nice person, which she describes as "terrible".

"It's just that I'm painfully shy in general and I get it from my parents," the singer says, playfully blaming dad Todd: "So Todd, it's your fault."

Carly Pearce is currently performing across the world on her Hummingbird tour. Picture: Getty

Elaborating on her shyness, Carly explains: "It's not that I'm fake... If you put us on stage, it's not that we are faking it.

"It's just an exaggeration because you are, to a degree, playing a character."

Pearce goes on to reveal that she uses a stage name, poking fun at her real name.

"My biological name is Carly Slusser, so Todd gave me the name Slusser. That's not a good stage name.

"Again, Todd messed up," Carly laughs. "My mother's maiden name is Pearce. I do feel I have two personalities. I have Carly Pearce, who is a very big part of me and is me, but she is the fabricated version of Carly Slusser."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by c a r l y p e a r c e (@carlypearce)

The Hummingbird singer was just 16 when she auditioned for the “Country Crossroads” show at Dollywood, a theme park owned by her idol Dolly Parton.

Carly got the job and packed up her life to move to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, where she performed five times a week for two years.

In 2017, her debut single 'Every Little Thing' reached number one on the Billboard country chart and resulted in a major record deal for Pearce.

Already she has several awards under her belt, including a Grammy Award. It's safe to say Carly is one of the hottest stars in country music right now.

Yet the singer would be fine if nobody looked her way when she entered a room.

Carly realises it might "come off as rude, or cocky", but it actually comes from a place of insecurity.

"I'm actually like, do I belong here? Like, do people care? That's actually what it is."