K Michelle is expanding her music prowess and is unapologetic about it! At 41, she recently branched out from R&B to country music. The bold voice confidently performed on stage at the CMA Awards 2023. She went on to share the thrilling display with Jelly Roll, who won the Best New Artist award.
K. Michelle and Jelly Roll Show Off at the 2023 CMA Awards
The Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta star remembers her background with everything she’s got. This time, she aims to tell her story through country music. K Michelle, aka Puddin (a new name for her country music debut), released her first country song, “Tennessee.” This just scratches the surface, as she dedicated an entire album to the genre.
Meanwhile, K. Michelle shared the spotlight with Jelly Roll, the Best New Artist honoree at the CMA Awards 2023. Together, the artists serenaded their audience with their rich voices, singing an epic song.
For the duet performance, they chose to honor one of the pioneers of country music, Naomi Judd. The duo sang The Judds’ “Love Can Build a Bridge.”
Singing with the night’s Best New Artist, Jelly Roll, connected her to him. She referred to Roll as her brother, emphasizing their close relationship.
At the same time, K. Michelle gushed about the legendary duo, The Judds, comprised of mother and daughter. These two were part of the singer’s childhood; she grew up adoring their songs.
Pudding Says, “There’s no transition”
Before proving herself worthy of being a country singer – singing an iconic song by The Judds – K. Michelle told US Weekly that she feels deeply connected to country tunes. Despite being African American, she firmly believes that her roots are embedded in the music genre.
In her words:
“It’s part of who I am. It’s so crazy when I talk to people and they’re like, ‘How does this transition?’ There’s no transition, let’s be honest. This is who I am. This is how I was born. This is how I was raised.”
At the end of her CMA performance, K Michelle proved to be a true fan of The Judds while impressing the audience with her authenticity.
