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TL;DR:

  • Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood recorded a duet called “If I Didn’t Love You” that won some CMT Music Awards.
  • Aldean felt the song was going to be amazing.
  • Listeners in the United States and the United Kingdom had very different reactions to the song.
Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood near posters
Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood | Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Clear Channel

Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood collaborated on a ballad called “If I Didn’t Love You.” Subsequently, Aldean was convinced the song would “go down as one of the biggest duets in country music.” Notably, the song’s video won multiple CMT Awards.

How ‘If I Didn’t Love You’ came to be

According to a 2022 CMT News article, Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, John Morgan, and Lydia Vaughan co-wrote “If I Didn’t Love You.” Aldean felt it would work with Underwood’s voice. Fortunately, she didn’t have any new music on her schedule.

“Her voice was the one I heard on the song,” Aldean said. “I remember sending it to Carrie and she wanted to hear a version of it with my voice on it. So I ran into the studio and threw a vocal on it, sent it back, and was like, ‘OK, now what do you think?'”

What Jason Aldean thought of Carrie Underwood’s vocals on the track

Aldean had a strong reaction to the song. “From the moment she came in and started singing on it, me and [my producer] were like, ‘Holy [moly], this is going to be good. We thought it was going to be good, but this is going to be pretty special,” he said. “I think this will go down as one of the biggest duets in country music. I’m really proud to be a part of it.”

Underwood discussed her reaction to the track. “I said, ‘It’s this song they sent over that maybe I’ll sing with Jason,'” she explained. “He goes, ‘It’s really good.’ I was like, ‘I know.'”

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How Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood’s ‘If I Didn’t Love You’ performed on the charts and at the CMT Music Awards

“If I Didn’t Love You” became one of the biggest hits in Underwood’s career. It peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 25 weeks. Only three of Aldean’s songs — “Dirt Road Anthem,” “Take a Little Ride,” and “Burnin’ It Down” — charted higher. 

“If I Didn’t Love You” appeared on Aldean’s album Macon, Georgia. The album peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, remaining on the chart for 12 weeks.

On the other hand, “If I Didn’t Love You” wasn’t as popular in the United Kingdom. According to The Official Charts Company, the song did not chart in the U.K. None of Aldean’s songs or albums charted there.

Regardless, the song’s video won critical acclaim. Billboard reports the video won the CMT Music Awards for Video of the Year and Collaborative Video of the Year. Aldean had lots of faith in “If I Didn’t Love You” and the song became a major hit.

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