Avril Lavigne and Nate Smith Deliver Live Debut of New Collab 'Bulletproof' at 2024 ACM Awards

• Nate Smith teams up with pop-punk princess Avril Lavigne on his latest track
• The two released “Bulletproof” ahead of Thursday’s ACM Awards
• Smith and Lavigne are heading out on tour later this year

Country star Nate Smith kicked off the 2024 ACM Awards on May 16 with an early win for New Male Artist of the Year and continued the celebration with a debut performance of his new song with pop-punk princess Avril Lavigne, “Bulletproof.”

The performance began with Smith singing solo on a stage that had been transformed into a bar filled with neon lights. Lavigne joined him to sing the second verse herself, before they sang the rest of the song in duet, smiling as they hugged at the end.

After the song originally appeared on Smith’s Through the smoke EP, the two musicians teamed up to release a new version of the duet ahead of the awards show.

Lavigne, 39, wore a ripped black T-shirt with ripped black jeans, while Smith, 38, wore all black with a leather jacket at the ceremony, held at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.

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The duo’s special performance comes after Smith won his first ACM Awards before the evening’s ceremony, hosted by Reba McEntire, had even begun. His big news was announced alongside new Artist of the Year and new Duo or Group of the Year winners Megan Moroney and Tigirlily Gold.

The “World on Fire” singer teased his collaboration with Lavigne on Instagram just days before the pair hit the stage together. In a clip of the iMessage exchange, Smith sent a message Love Sux singer, “AVRIL!!! Man, I’m so excited to be performing at the ACMs together!!!! ​​​​️‍🔥‎️‍🔥‎️‍🔥.”

Check out PEOPLE’s full coverage of the ACM Awards here.

Avril Lavigne at the ACM Awards in Frisco, Texas on May 16, 2024.

Jason Kempin/Getty

“I have a crazy idea…” he continued, to which Lavigne responded with a wide-eyed emoji.

“Let’s ditch the song that day?!” Smith posed. The diamond-certified star replied: “Hell yes!” before her collaborator sent a teaser video of their song.

“​​Feels damn good to release this wicked new version and I couldn’t think of a better person to reinvent this song than an icon like Avril!!” Smith captioned the post on Instagram on the day of the song’s release. ‘Bulletproof’ ft. @avrillavigne (aka. Honey Boo Boo Bear, Pookie, etc) is out!!!! Take some 🦅💥.”

Nate Smith at the ACM Awards in Frisco, Texas on May 16, 2024.

Jason Kempin/Getty

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The new song arrives a week before Lavigne is set to kick off her highly anticipated Greatest Hits tour — which she’s also touring The greatest hits album he’s releasing next month.

“I can’t go on a greatest hits tour without a greatest hits album!!!” the Grammy-nominated “Girlfriend” singer posted on Instagram on Friday, May 10, alongside her album cover. “Junk 21st June 🩷💚🧡🖤.”

ACM Awards 2024: See the full list of winners!

Smith, meanwhile, is embarking on his own Through the Smoke Tour — named after his latest EP, out April 5 — this fall with special guests John Morgan and Karley Scott Collins. The 14-date tour kicks off on September 19th in Portland, Oregon and wraps up on November 23rd in Des Moines, Iowa.

Other artists taking the ACM Awards stage include Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani, Kelsea Ballerini and Noah Kahan, Parker McCollum, Kane Brown, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Thomas Rhett, Chris Stapleton, Lainey Wilson and McEntire. Jason Aldean will also perform a special tribute to the late country star Toby Keith — who died in February at the age of 62 after being diagnosed with stomach cancer.

The 59th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards airs live on Prime Video from the Ford Center at The Star, Texas.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education