London’s Royal Albert Hall witnessed a special moment last night during the Grand Ole Opry’s international debut. Carly Pearce and Luke Combs finally shared the stage for the first-ever live performance of “I Hope You’re Happy Now.”
The song, originally released in 2019 as a duet with Lee Brice, has always held a deep meaning for Carly. What many fans didn’t know until now is that Luke Combs co-wrote the track alongside Randy Montana and Jonathan Singleton. At the time, Luke was riding high with singles like “Even Though I’m Leavin’” and his Brooks & Dunn collaboration “1, 2 Many,” which kept him from joining the project as a featured artist.
Carly didn’t need the extra push, though—the song climbed quickly, becoming her fastest-rising single, reaching #1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, and marking a career highlight.
What makes it even more meaningful is that “I Hope You’re Happy Now” was the final song produced by her late mentor, Busbee. For Carly, performing it with Luke years later wasn’t just nostalgic—it was healing.
On stage, the two powerhouse vocalists brought the heartbreak ballad to life in a way fans had only imagined. Carly’s voice carried raw emotion, while Luke’s unmatched power gave the song an entirely new energy.
After the performance, Carly took to Instagram to share the emotional significance:
“Many of you don’t know that I wrote ‘I Hope You’re Happy Now’ with Luke Combs. Tonight in London, we sang it for the FIRST time since we wrote it six years ago. Thank you Luke for this full circle moment!”
The crowd’s reaction said it all—cheers, goosebumps, and a shared sense that they were witnessing something unforgettable.
