The singer-songwriter and the queens performed “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too)” on Sunday.
Kelsea Ballerini, who co-hosted the 2023 CMT Music Awards, and a quartet of RuPaul’s Drag Race queens performed her hit single “If You Go Down (I’m Going Down Too)” on Sunday.
With her pink guitar in hand and standing in front of a white picket fence backdrop, Ballerini sang, “Cause dirt on you is dirt on me/And we both know our hands ain’t clean/If it all blows up and we end up on the news/If you go down/I’m goin’ down too.” She was soon joined by Jan Sport, Olivia Lux, Manila Luzon, and Kennedy Davenport, all of whom appeared on the red carpet that evening.
Earlier in the day, the Statesman in Austin asked if the group had any advice for Texas drag queens affected by the state’s anti-drug show ban. “Continue to be your authentic self,” Davenport advised. “At the end of the day, we have a calling and a job as drag queens, so we’re still motivating young people, inspiring them, and lifting them.”
What can’t our host do? @KelseaBallerini absolutely SLAYED her #CMTAwards performance! 🌈✨ pic.twitter.com/t7f8vZEf6K
— CMT (@CMT) April 3, 2023
Before the show, Ballerini paid tribute to the victims of the Nashville shooting. “I pray — deeply — that the closeness and community we feel for the next few hours of music can quickly turn into action, like real action, that moves us forward together to create change for the safety of our children and loved ones,” the artist said.
Hardy’s “Wait in the Truck” with Lainey Wilson won Collaborative Video of the Year, and Megan Moroney won Breakthrough Female Video of the Year for her single “Tennessee Orange.” “Son of a Sinner” by Jelly Roll was named Breakthrough Male Video of the Year and Breakthrough Male Video of the Year.
