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Stars Aligned for Jason Aldean’s ‘If I Didn’t Love You’ Duet With Carrie Underwood

Jason Aldean has dropped a big preview of his upcoming 10th studio album with the release of his power-ballad duet with Carrie Underwood, “If I Didn’t Love You.”

Aldean describes the tune, released Friday by Broken Bow Records, as a “love song breakup song thing” that was penned by his band members Kurt Allison and Tully Kennedy alongside John Morgan and Lydia Vaughan. Underwood was at the top of Aldean’s wish list for singing partners, the musician told iHeart Country in a July 23 interview.

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Lucky for him, Underwood “liked the song and she had a window” in her work schedule to record it, Aldean said during the interview. “It just kind of went from there,” he said. He added that it was the kind of “big huge power ballad sort of thing” that was “definitely” needed for the record, he told iHeart Country.

There’s no word yet on a release date for the album. Aldean is heading out on his “Back in the Saddle” tour starting Aug. 3.

Aldean noted to iHeart Country that “If I Didn’t Love You” will open the new album. The song is a bit of a stylistic departure for him. “I’m usually not a guy into doing real sappy-type love songs — not that this is sappy. It’s more of a kind of breaking up and getting over it kind of song. To me that’s a kind of love song,” Aldean told iHeart Country.

Aldean cited his love of classic country duets by such legendary pairings as Dolly Parton with Kenny Rogers and George Jones with Tammy Wynette, and in contemporary times, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. “When you get it right, it’s really cool,” Aldean said in the interview.

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