Jo Dee Messina Makes 1st CMA Awards Appearance In 20 Years For Surprise Performance With Cole Swindell

Jo Dee Messina returned to the CMA Awards for the archetypal clip successful 20 years during the 2022 amusement connected Nov. 9. The state vocalist amazed the assemblage erstwhile she appeared onstage during Cole Swindell’s show of the show. Cole was performing his opus “She Had Me At Heads Carolina,” which was inspired by Jo Dee’s 1996 deed “Heads Carolina, Tails California.” The legendary state vocalist belted retired the last verse of her opus to adjacent retired the performance, making for the eventual duet. The past clip Jo Dee attended the CMA Awards was backmost successful 2002, truthful this was a large night!

Yaaasssssss!!!!!! SO Good to spot @jodeemessina connected the #CMAawards stage!!! This conscionable made my night!! Absolutely amazing!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/mzXQKbH4iV

— Ashton Jones (@AshtonJ92053117) November 10, 2022

“She Had Me At Heads Carolina” is simply a opus astir falling for a pistillate who took the signifier during a nighttime of karaoke. It features the melody of Jo Dee’s archetypal hit, with Cole’s unthinkable songwriting storytelling woven in. Cole wrote the opus with Thomas Rhett, on with Ashley Gorley and Jesse Frasure. The thought for the way came up erstwhile Cole and TR were connected circuit unneurotic and decided to enactment a rotation connected a opus they loved.

“The lone space that worked was the thought of walking successful determination and the miss beryllium singing that song,” Cole explained to Billboard. “Later, I got a accidental to speech to Jo Dee and she was chill with it. I got to fto her cognize what a instrumentality I was and that I wanted her to beryllium involved.” Jo Dee appeared successful the euphony video for the song, and Cole besides dropped a remix featuring the 90s vocalist earlier this month.

Cole besides admitted that Jo Dee is 1 of the reasons that helium fell successful emotion with state music. “Just to grant that and 90s state euphony and present telephone her a friend, and adjacent having her successful the video, it’s hard to enactment into words,” helium gushed. “After 10 years of being successful this business, it feels similar a caller beginning.” The opus is featured connected Cole’s album Stereotype and has reached No. 1 connected the Country Airplay Billboard charts.