Country Music News

Thomas Rhett didn’t expect Katy Perry to know who he was, much less duet with him on “Where We Started”

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ABC/Connie Chornuk

Thomas Rhett and Katy Perry might be unlikely duet partners — he hails from the country world, while she’s a pop star — but they found common ground on their duet, “Where We Started,” which is also the title track of TR’s spring 2022 album.

Admittedly, he wasn’t expecting her to say yes to the track — or to even know who he was. But when a trusted member of his label team asked if she could send the song to Katy’s camp and ask about a duet, he acquiesced.

“I was like, ‘It doesn’t really fit with the other collaborators on this album. And also, she probably has no idea who I am, and she probably is not going to respond to this email,’” Thomas remembers saying. “‘But you definitely should try.’”

And it’s a good thing they did: Katy immediately replied and was enthusiastic, “talking about how much she resonated with the song,” Thomas recalls.

“It wasn’t 24 hours later that me and Katy were FaceTiming, and she was asking what parts should she sing and should she take a chorus,” he continues.

From there, it took her about a week to record her part. When Thomas first listened to the completed version of “Where We Started,” he knew the listener at his label had been right.

“It just felt like it was supposed to be that way the entire time,” TR remembers.

The song is continuing to make an impact. Earlier this week, Thomas and Katy co-starred in a new music video for the track.

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