Cole Swindell and Lainey Wilson stopped by The Kelly Clarkson Show on Wednesday (April 20) to perform their steamy duet “Never Say Never.”
Clarkson also told the audience about some of their recent accolades — like Wilson being the reigning ACM New Artist of the Year and Swindell notching nine Platinum singles — before introducing their performance.
Wilson opted for her signature bell bottoms in animal print and a fiery red blazer, while Swindell kept his look more muted with a black and grey ensemble. Accompanied by his band, the two passed their lyrics back and forth before joining up in the chorus.
It was first appearance for Swindell on The Kelly Clarkson Show, but the second for Wilson. The “Things a Man Oughta Know” singer was a guest around this time last year, on April 22, 2021.
“Never Say Never” has been a performance mainstay for the pair, though — most recently, they sang it on the 2022 CMT Music Awards, in the pouring rain. The inclement weather added an extra layer of drama to a song that already features some emotional push and pull between them.
The song is the follow-up to Swindell’s 2020 release “Single Saturday Night,” and is featured on his recent Stereotype album. He wrote it in 2018 with Jessi Alexander and Chase McGill. Since he was a fan of Wilson’s work, he asked her to be a part of the track. They filmed the music video at Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, an abandoned prison in Knoxville, Tenn. The video tells a story of forbidden love between a prison guard and inmate.
The concept was inspired by a true story. In the video, the two attempt to run away together:
The 50 Best Ever, Country Music Duets, Ranked
Country music is well known for its collaborations, and there is no shortage of duets within the genre’s lifespan. But we’ve cut it down to 50 of the genre’s most memorable duets over the past several decades, as you’ll see here.