Photo: Submitted
Carly Pearce opened up about “the sacrifices we make when chasing our dreams,” in the vulnerable new single she released on Friday (November 14).
Pearce wrote “Dream Come True” with Lauren Hungate, Tofer Brown and Emily Weisband, and product the track with Ben West. It’s the first release from the Grammy-winning country star “in a really long time,” she said as she shared a candid message on TikTok and Instagram. Pearce said she’s been on “a long journey,” and endured “pressures” of feeling as though she isn’t enough that make her question why she’s pursuing her passion in the first place. “Dream Come True” serves as a “re-direction to reconnect” with her love of country music. Pearce also wanted others to know, “you’re not alone and we’re more than enough.” She said in her heartfelt message:
“I released a song today called ‘Dream Come True,’ and it is my first release in a really long time. Probably the longest that I’ve ever gone in the last 10 years in between releases, and it’s been a long journey over the last couple of years for me, mentally. Being somebody who has always just based their career on music, it has felt really hard to know how to release music, how to deal with the pressures of, ‘do I have enough followers? Are people engaging? Do people care? Am I gonna go viral? Do I matter? Am I enough?’ And it has sent me to some hard places where I’ve had to really ask myself, ‘why am I doing this? Why do I love music? What was the dream in the first place?’ And that’s what this song is about. This song is my kind of re-direction to reconnect with why I wanted to do this in the first place. And we live in such a hard time knowing how to release music. I don’t know if this is the right thing. I don’t know if I’m gonna have tons of views. I don’t know how to go viral. I don’t know some days how to really make myself know that I’m enough in all things. But what I hope for with this song and what I hope for with these next many, many songs that I’m gonna be bringing you is that you know that at the core, I love music. And I love writing country music. And that’s what I know, and that’s what I’m gonna focus on, and I hope you love it. And if you’re feeling like you don’t know how to do all of this, you’re not alone and we’re more than enough.”
Pearce’s newest ballad makes her “more unapologetically honest and introspective than ever before,” per a press release from her record label. The Kentucky-born artist’s stunning vocals “take center stage, the emotional weight of moments missed palpable with every note.” The Natalie Sakstrup-directed music video offers a reflective look at Pearce as she gets ready for another performance with her team hustling around behind her. Pearce said in a statement included in the release that she wrote “Dream Come True” “about the sacrifices we make when chasing our dreams. If you’ve ever felt that push and pull, know that you’re not alone. Writing this song has allowed me to return to my original dream, to reconnect with my roots and why I first fell in love with singing Country music.”
Pearce released “Dream Come True” after weeks of stirring anticipation among eager fans with vague teasers on Instagram. The singer-songwriter is getting ready to release her fifth studio record after 2024’s hummingbird and the 19-track deluxe edition, hummingbird: no rain, no flowers, which she released earlier this year. The hummingbird chapter included “country music made me do it,” “truck on fire,” “we don’t fight anymore” with Chris Stapleton, “no rain” and more.