During an industry party celebrating their Number One duet “Think of You,” Chris Young and Cassadee Pope teased the idea of singing together again.
“We have talked about it in a very casual way, like maybe we should so something down the line,” Pope tells Rolling Stone Country. “I’m still working on my album, which is coming along really well, so maybe another duet will happen.”
Adds Young, “I wouldn’t be opposed to it.”
The two strong-voiced belters became this year’s sweethearts of song with the passionate “Think of You,” a likely contender in all the upcoming vocal-event award categories. The track topped the charts in record time for Young — a mere 15 weeks — and doubles as Pope’s first Number One. The duo marked the milestone yesterday with the requisite plaques and speeches at Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
Pope credits the raging popularity of the post-breakup hit to its universal appeal. “For me, it was just so relatable,” she says. “You break up with somebody and you kind of feel like starting a new life. I have been in that scenario . . . and that’s all I heard from fans, that they had been there and they could relate to the song.”
Young, who wrote “Think of You” with producer Corey Crowder and Josh Hoge, pointed to the unusual angle taken by the song, mainly in terms of melodic structure. “If most people were going to write about this [topic], they would write it as a ballad,” he says. “But this song had some movement to it, which I think created a very cool juxtaposition. That doesn’t always happen on a song. Being able to have Cassadee on this added to it. She has such a great voice that it made the song stand out even more.”
Duets, long a staple in country music, must meet particular requirements, in Young’s view. “I think you have to have the right song and the right people,” he says. “For ‘Think of You,’ I had to find someone who’s not only going to sound good but also likes the song. It’s one more piece to creating a song. But I lucked out with Cassadee.”
The sonic chemistry between the two is undeniable. But they weren’t really close friends, as might be assumed. “We didn’t really know each other that well,” Pope says. “Right from the beginning, we had a good rapport. We both have this goofy side.”
They’ll combine their efforts again starting in September, as Pope rejoins Young’s I’m Comin’ Over Tour, running through the end of the year.
– Rolling Stone
